Sweetheart
by Nyx6
Summary: Mox and Chloe are best friends and roommates and that's all they are. Unless of course, they're not. Pre-WWE Moxley.
1. Chloe Takes a Fall

**Okay, so the idea for this one hit me suddenly and I had to go with it. It's set in the same universe as the Squeaker stories, but can be read separately from that and basically, I just wanted to write about mid-twenties Mox with a romantic leaning. Don't get me wrong, I love Dean and Lauren, but I felt Mox needed a little love too. ****Hope you like chapter one. More to come.**

* * *

**Chloe Takes a Fall**

**…**

Chloe had no real idea how it happened. All she knew was that _one_ minute she was stood in the shower trying to wash off the stresses and strains of the day and the _next_ she was flat on her ass by the plughole, with hot steaming water pouring down over her face and with something really,_ really_ wrong with her shoulder.

Like, bone on bone wrong.

_Oh crap, oh crap_.

"Mox?"

Was he there still, or had he left for work already? Because he had certainly been there ten minutes before, when Chloe had wearily shuffled past him in the kitchen, all but dragging her purse behind her.

Mox had snorted,

"Rough day?"

"Ugh. The_ worst_," she had huffed back dejectedly, dropping herself down into a chair and then absently picking at a piece of pepperoni on the day old takeout pizza he was planning to eat, "The company finances are down on last quarter and there's talk of the whole place being bought out. In which case they won't want a junior underwriter who only started eight months back and has no clue what she's doing. Last one in first one out and all that jazz."

"Hey," Mox had grunted, slapping her hand but grinning all the same since he could never be mad at her. They were best friends after all and roommates of course. Along with Samara the half Russian lesbian who hated them both and kept herself to herself. But Mox and Chloe had clicked from the get go and she loved him to pieces.

Um. But only as a friend,

"Nah, come on," he had growled back emphatically, "I mean what freakin' company wouldn't want you? An' especially with the hours an' late nights you put in there."

She had shrugged,

"Maybe I could try wrestling instead? And be your valet, or whatever they call them."

Mox had grinned back at her,

"Fuck yeah, anytime."

Back in the present she shifted a little and then hissed as her shoulder protested like mad, or like a troop of tiny invisible miners were digging through the bone, which wasn't good.

"Mox, _help_."

Chloe didn't think she could hold out much longer. Well, not that there was anything else she could do. Except for passing out, which seemed pretty inviting, or _would_ have been had someone not knocked on the door,

"Chlo?"

"Mox."

"Uh, is everythin' goin' okay in there?"

"No, I need your help."

The handle twisted at once and then snapped back because, _damn_, she had locked it. Mox grunted at her,

"Uh, sweetheart? You wanna open the door?"

"I can't," Chloe wailed back and yep, she was panicking, "I slipped and – ," her shoulder grated bitterly, "Mox, _please_."

"Fuck. Okay stand back," he growled at her, clearly not having a clue where she was but not wanting to accidentally run her in the process of getting in there. However he was planning on doing that exactly.

_BAM_.

Chloe jolted in fright as the bathroom door burst off its hinges, followed by the bottom of a large brown work boot and then Mox a second later looking very nearly frantic, although he paused and then blinked for a second.

"Ho fuck."

"What?" Chloe squeaked. Oh god. Was it her shoulder? Was it really that bad and hold on, wait. Why in the world was Mox trying _not _to look at her. He waved a hand,

"Uh, sweetheart. You're – I mean you're all – ,"

Oh. _Ohhh_.

Chloe turned a shade between bright crimson and _kill me_ as she realized the problem. She was naked from head to toe and okay, so she and Mox were best friends and roommates but he had never seen her, well, he had never seen _all _of her before. Biting her lip she tried to shift in embarrassment which, _ooh_ okay, turned out to be a horrible idea, since it made her poor shoulder light up like a fireball, which _then_ made her feel nauseous.

She whimpered,

"Fuck. Here."

Looking up in time to see the water stop falling as Mox fiddled with the knob so that at least she wouldn't drown, Chloe also watched a large towel head towards her, with her roommate stood behind like it was some sort of modesty shield, but a really, really soft one that he carefully draped across her before squatting down and putting a hand on her knee, which bled right in through the pure Egyptian cotton and soothed her.

Briefly. Until he whistled.

"Ho man,"

"Is it bad?" Chloe whispered back softly with wide eyes, not exactly sure why she was whispering at all.

"Looks like you might 'a dislocated your shoulder."

"But you can fix it, right?" she pleaded blinking up into his face, because really he had a handsome face all things considered, which she had thought from the very first time they had met, with his short dark blonde hair and his squishy little cheekbones and his muscles. Because Mox had muscles for _days_ and not oiled up icky Palm Beach style ones either, but nice ones that bulged_ just_ right against his shirt.

He shrugged,

"Well I mean sure if it were _me_ we were dealin' with. Because mostly I just slam that shit into a wall, an' then keep on goin' until it kinda clicks in again, but no way in hell am I doin' that to you. Looks like m' gonna have to take you to a doctor."

"Wait, what?"

"Come on."

He slid his hands beneath her knees and then lifted her carefully up from the shower with her free arm round his neck and the other to her chest. Partly to keep her shoulder from screaming, but also to make sure that the towel stayed in place, since the last thing she needed or wanted was a nip slip.

Mox's nose was in her hair,

"Fuck. You smell really good."

In spite of the pain Chloe smiled at him,

"Thank you. It's pink grapefruit and rhubarb. And before you ask _no_, you can't borrow it."

"Shame," Mox grinned back as he crabbed them both through the doorway, being careful not to bump her, "I was thinkin of usin' it on my balls."

"_Eww_," she gasped, "Mox _gross_."

Samara was stood in the hallway beyond them. holding her toothbrush like a medieval lance, since she insisted on keeping her stuff in her bedroom, including her toiletries and bizarrely, her food. They would probably have to fumigate and purge her room when she finally moved out of there. _If_ she ever moved that was.

She blinked at them silently,

"I knew."

"Knew what?" Mox frowned at her. He had never liked Samara. Not since day one. Or rather not since she had given his wrestling boots to Goodwill because he had happened to leave them out in the hallway _one freaking time_.

She shrugged,

"I knew that you two fuck."

In response Chloe shrieked about eight times louder than she banked on. In surprise though. Not in embarrassment. Much.

"_What_?"

Although in hindsight it probably did look a _bit _suspicious, given that she was naked except for the towel and being carried in the arms of a muscle bound hero like the damsel from out of a black and white film. She stole a glance at Mox. He was red too. A little. But then that was just because he was hauling her around and definitely _not_ because he was blushing.

He crumpled his face up,

"The fuck is wrong with you? She's _hurt_. M' takin' her to the hospital, not freakin' jumpin' her."

"You take her to the hospital naked?"

"Uh – ," it turned out she may have had a good point on that. Chloe and Mox exchanged looks, "Of fuckin' course not," Mox huffed back before swinging them around, like he'd been planning on heading to her room the whole time but had briefly gotten lost in their not so huge house. Samara lifted an unimpressed eyebrow and then muttered in Russian,

"Seks."

Chloe frowned,

"We heard that."

Because she had been the last one to move in there. Chloe's room was the smallest, but it was still pretty cute. In warm pastel shades with her bed in the middle and views out over the city beyond. The guy who had rented the room out before her had apparently been a vampire. _Real freaky dude_, Mox had laughed, after having found a vial of blood beneath the floorboards when he'd been helping her paint. She hadn't needed to know more.

Putting her down gently on the edge of the comforter, he stood for a second scratching idly at his head. A cute and very sure sign he was nervous. Or clueless. Or both.

"Uh, so want am I gettin ya here? A leopard print halter an' a pair of pink hotpants?"

She grinned,

"I mean, sure. If I actually _had_ those things. Or any inclination of looking like a hooker."

"A _pretty_ hooker," Mox clarified, "Don't sell yourself short."

Chloe laughed and then hissed as her shoulder tweaked,

"Damn it."

"Easy sweetheart. Hey, how about these?" having started to blunder around her room like a burglar, Mox had stumbled on an old pair of sweats red, with a stripe down the side like a backing dancer in Flashdance, but which were better than nothing.

She nodded,

"Um, yep."

"An' now where's that big fuckin' baggy piece of sweater shit?" Mox continued to mutter to himself. Chloe blinked. Wait. He knew what was in her closet? Evidently yes. "Fuckin' stupid lookin' thing. Like you're wearin a tent, or a parachute, but I figure we can drop it down over your head without needin' to screw up your shoulder too much here."

"Uh, Mox?" Chloe frowned. He snorted,

"_Ho _no. I ain't puttin on any makeup or hair shit. Because you're on your own with that."

"Don't you have a show?"

"Huh?"

His head sprang up from a drawer of her dresser, which she belatedly realized was her delicates drawer because of _course_ it was, before shrugging,

"Nah, 's okay. Callihan can step in. Or they can shuffle thing round 'til I get there. Don't sweat it."

"But – ,"

"Hey. I said don't sweat it. M' helpin' you out. An' besides, the quicker you decide what to wear here, the quicker we can get you to the emergency room, an' the quicker _I_ can get back to stabbin' out eyeballs. Deal?" he growled, holding up her fleece lined boots, alongside a pair of black and white canvas sneakers for her to make a choice.

Chloe reached for the boots and then bit a smile back. Best friend ever. But only a friend though. Nothing more.

She nodded,

"Deal."

* * *

**Chapter one officially in the bag folks. Stop by next week if you're interested for more. Same time, same place. You know where to find me!**


	2. Mox at the Hospital

**Welcome back one and all and thanks for the support and the reviews and the follows. Not gonna keep you waiting, here's the next part…**

**Not-that-kinda-gurl, Haha, aww, glad you like it. I can't promise it will go on forever, but it's looking like it's going to be 10+ chapters, so I hope that sounds okay!**

**Mandy, Ooooh yay! I'm so happy for you. Knew you would do it. Hope your first day (today) was okay and that you can sit back and unwind with this chapter this evening. Well done! Hugs.**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Definitely pleased I've got you hooked already. What can I say? I just fancied me some twenty-something year old Mox trying to navigate his feelings!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Thank you. I hope you're all strapped in for another story!**

**Minnie1015, Yay! Glad you're on board (not that I ever doubted you of course!) This is the story I was telling you about that I wrote in less than a week. Creative juices gone WILD!**

**Skovko, It is going to be the cutest, most awkward friendship I could possibly create, continuing with this chapter, which is pretty much all those things rolled into one (I hope!)**

**HannonsPen, Welcome aboard the rollercoaster express. Please keep your hands inside the car at all times and prepare for cuteness and unrequited love (on both sides!)**

* * *

**Mox at the Hospital**

…

Chloe was biting her lip down so heavily that for a second Mox was worried she was going to bite it off, which would mean having to fill out yet _more _freaking paperwork on top of the stack they were already powering through. Although _why _they needed to know everything about her before they could help was a mystery to him. Along with things like basic health insurance or saving for the future.

He flipped the page over,

"Okay. It says here do you have any tattoos or secret piercings? Like nipple rings, or like, maybe a tassel on your foof."

"It does _not_," Chloe grinned, but she blushed a little and Mox blinked.

Fuck. _Did_ she?

He nodded,

"Yep. Says it right here, under the question about best place you ever did it. Look," he waved the clipboard under her nose, but then snaffled it back again before she could see it which made her laugh at him and –

_Holy shit_ she was cute.

All strawberry blonde hair and green eyes and pink grapefruit. Not that he liked her in _that_ way of course. They were roommates and friends. They were pals. They were buddies and –

"Sweetheart, m' gonna need you to answer here."

"No," Chloe hissed back before lowering her voice down, "No piercings."

"Tattoos?"

"Um," she bit her lip again.

Oh crap.

Sitting up straighter Mox clicked out the pen nib, like he was poised to write it down, "Hold up here, lemme guess. Dolphin right? It freakin' _has_ to be a dolphin, an' I mean, like, I kinda saw most a' you in the shower, so it has to be on like an ass cheek or somethin'."

"_Mox_," Chloe squeaked, eyes almost bursting from her head and, _ohhh_ yeah. That thing was most _definitely_ on an ass cheek.

"Oh god, worst night ever," she dropped her face into her hand, but then yelped as the shift pulled her poor screwed up shoulder and the noise kind of _broke_ Mox a little,

"Whoa. Hey. Easy sweetheart, take it easy. Mox's gotcha."

She sucked in a breath,

"It just h-hurts,"

"I know, I know it does," he soothed, sweeping her long hair back, which was still all damp and frizzed up from the shower, "I know it does, which is why m' gonna go an' try an' speed 'em along here. Or at least get some pills for you or somethin'. Okay?"

"Okay."

Not that the woman at the desk filled him with confidence as he stepped in towards her wearing a smile. His best smile in fact and the one that usually worked for him whenever it came to charming women.

He plucked his shirt front out.

Ahem.

"Uh. Listen Sweet Cheeks, but my roommate – ,"

She cut him off briskly,

"No."

He blinked at her,

"What?"

"Whatever it is, the answer's no. You have to wait with all the rest until we call you. Because right now we have three heart attacks to deal with and a very drunken bachelorette party who mistook some crazy glue for a bottle of lube. So when I say you'll have to wait with all the rest son, I mean it."

_Christ. _But was it wrong he wanted to know more about the lube? Chloe moved in the corner of his eye line and he cleared his throat,

_Focus._

"Look, I get that, okay? But you see that girl there?" he pointed towards her and the receptionist reluctantly followed his gaze. Good, "She ain't some drunk or some junkie or some crazy. She slipped in the shower because she's tired, okay? Because she works her ass off for some crappy insurance company who might lay her off an' – ,"

"Curtain three."

He frowned,

"Huh?"

"Curtain three," the receptionist echoed with an eye roll, before gesturing behind her with the tip of a pen, "Get her settled and I'll have a doctor come see to her."

"Uh, thanks," Mox blinked, surprised by the change of heart. Maybe his award winning smile had worked after all. Although maybe it was Chloe, who was sitting ramrod straight as a man in a mouldy and flea bitten old blanket who had parked himself beside her offered out a paper bag and generally made her feel super uncomfortable.

"Whoa," Mox growled, weaving in between the chairs and then sweeping her up onto her feet super carefully while flapping at the drunk, "Hey man, back it up. Okay yeah, I know. It's a real nice blanket. Fuck, come on sweetheart. I got us a room,"

"Wait. You _did_?" Chloe blinked at him in wonder as he eased her protectively across the tiled floor and then past the receptionist who winked maternally at Chloe, but then glowered at him. Because, yep. Not his smile, "How?"

Mox shrugged,

"Uh, you know. Like, tricks of trade an' shit. Top secret. I'd have to kill you if I told you."

Chloe grinned and then leaned in close with a devilish giggle that did things to his, well –

"Hmm. I'd like to see you try."

_Fuck_.

Curtain numero three as it transpired, was sandwiched between a builder who had stepped on a drill bit and a child with what was either a case of _literal_ cottonmouth, or something less drugs based like the mumps. Mox pulled the drapes in around to make it cosy, then helped Chloe up onto the bed,

"You okay?"

She winced at him,

"Yep. I mean apart from the shoulder and the failing career and the total lack of a man. Oh. I mean, present best friend company notwithstanding."

He snorted at her,

"Thanks."

"Come on face it Mox. I'm a mess. A clumsy, pathetic, unattractive – ,"

"Hello there."

They both looked up as a doctor strolled in. A tall guy, smooth and ridiculously handsome if you liked that cliched sort of thing Mox supposed. Which Chloe did, if her expression was anything to go by. Two parts enraptured to one part pure love and _no _parts of which made Mox feel any happier.

Doctor Hunk smiled,

"Chloe Harris?"

"Um, present," Chloe beamed, putting her good hand in the air. Mox screwed his face up,

"What is this? Class?"

She poked her tongue out as Doctor Douche turned around to pull the curtain around the bed and then stepped closer, unwinding his stethoscope and beaming like an idiot,

"So what brought you here today?"

Chloe laughed back. As in actually _giggled_ and then looked panicked,

_Jesus._

Mox rolled up his eyes and then chose to put them all out of their misery and break up the _staring_.

"Her shoulder's banged up."

"Oh?"

"She fell in the shower. Called me to get her outta there. I'm her roommate. I'm a wrestler."

"_Mox_. Stop being weird," she hissed, as Doctor McHair Gel cleared his throat briskly and then beamed down at his patient,

"Do you mind if I take a look?"

Chloe bit her lip,

"Um, sure," she turned bright crimson, "Except, I'm not wearing much. Um, because of my arm and uh,"

She gestured loosely and the doc chuckled at her.

"I can look away until you're ready?"

"Yes please."

"Of course," he winked, _freaking winked_ in her direction, before turning around and checking her notes. Mox snorted. Ugh, what a damn creep the guy was. Making eyes at his patient while she was all freaking screwed up. He barely even noticed Chloe pulling up the sweater. Well, until he caught some boob out of the corner of his eye. Oh holy fuck he looked away rapidly before _he_ became the creep as meanwhile Chloe coughed.

"Um, ready I think,"

She had the sweater across her cleavage, with her screwed up shoulder looking mean beneath the lights. Mox reached out and ruffled her hair reassuringly,

"_Mox_."

"Hmm. Yep, a partially dislocated shoulder," Doctor Dick nodded,

"Partially?" Chloe gaped, as Mox leaned in over the bed rails and then rested his chin on them.

"It's just a term," the physician smiled, "But that doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt. Don't worry though. I'll get you some pain medication and then we'll get that baby in place."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," Chloe giggled. And oh god. Was she _flirting_? Kind of hysterically, but yep. She most definitely was, which Mox put down to the pain and the panic and _not_ the handsome doctor laughing back at her.

Oh _come on_.

"Well, only the pretty ones."

Mox blinked,

Fucking _excuse him_? Wasn't there a rule on dating patients and shit? In the same way _he_ wasn't meant to sleep with the fan base. But did sometimes anyway. Or _more_ than sometimes some weeks.

Damn.

"Well maybe when you're better we could go for a coffee?"

Chloe blushed,

"Um, well I – ,"

"Sharp prick."

He sure was.

"_Ouch_."

Reaching out Chloe grabbed Mox's hand and then squeezed it. Her whole face scrunching up as the analgesic was pumped in and so to help Mox pretended to bite on her knuckles, which made her snort in fond exasperation at him, "You ass."

"Okay," Doctor Desperate cut in through the moment. Because of _course_ he fucking would, "Now this part is going to hurt. But I promise that I'll make it as quick as I can for you. Are you ready?"

"Um. I think so," Chloe sucked in a breath, "I'm ready, right Mox?"

"Damn straight," he nodded back at her, "You're like Foley okay takin' those chair shots to the head but not tappin' out."

Doc Dick frowned heavily,

"Well now, that doesn't sound very safe. In fact research has shown that multiple head traumas can lead to a variety of problems in later life, including memory loss, confusion and muscle weakness or – ,"

_Bla bla bla_.

Mox pretended to mimic the guy, but stopped on a dime as Chloe hissed and screwed her face up in time with the physician slowly picking up her arm.

"Mox – ,"

"I gotcha," he grumbled back steadily, "Mox has gotcha. You're doin' fine."

"Ow."

Chloe was practically writhing in agony, with her green eyes screwed up and her nails in his skin and in hindsight perhaps it freaking _would_ have been kinder to have slammed it into a wall like he'd first thought of.

"Ow, _ow_ – ,"

"Jesus doc. What's takin' so long here?"

"Just a little more."

CLICK.

Chloe's shoulder popped back. As in literally thunked back into its socket, which obviously hurt.

"Ooh. Mother fucker," she never swore. Or not _really_ anyway and not half as bad as Mox did. Although no one cussed _that_ much. He chuckled. It was cute. Chloe blushed,

"Oh, sorry."

"Not a problem," the doctor smiled warmly. _Too_ freaking warmly, "Now how does that feel?"

Chloe picked up her arm and then tentatively wiggled it before smiling in wonder, "Oh my gosh Mox. I'm fixed. Isn't doctor," she peered at his name tag, "Kent fantastic?"

"Dan."

"Hmm?"

"_What_?" Mox barked way too loud, as Chloe and the doc gazed gooey eyed at each other,

"Call me Dan."

"Oh. Hi Dan."

Mox didn't like it one bit.

* * *

**Aww. Poor jealous Mox! Next week Mox and Chloe discuss wrestling names...among other things! See you next Monday.**


	3. Chloe Takes Care of Mox

**Here we are then all. Chapter three. Brace yourselves for plenty of flirtatious banter and a tiny bit of heartbreak. (Sorrynotsorry at all!)**

**KDGaines08, Aww, thank you so much! I so glad you love this story. I can't resist a bit of unrequited love sometimes, or putting poor old Mox through the wringer!**

**Not-that-kinda-gurl, Well, the good news is that I plan to update every Wednesday, so don't worry I won't leave you hanging too long!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Thank you!**

**Skovko, I think I enjoyed giving the Doctor offensive Mox names more than anything else I did in that chapter! And don't worry, there are definitely more weird names to come, in this chapter, especially as you will see (although not necessarily for the doctor!)**

**ClassicPurpleRoses, Glad you're loving the will-they-won't-they-they-definitely-should tension. Couldn't resist the thought of an awkward baby Mox trying to navigate actual feelings! Hope you like this chapter too!**

**HannonsPen, Hopefully this chapter is adorable too and especially since it's just the two of them again. Yay to alone time!**

**Minnie1015, Hope you're feeling better today. Sending hugs. Hopefully some Mox/Chloe time will cheer you up. Well, until the last bit anyway…poor old Mox! Will send you a long reply later this week, but in the meantime relax and try not to worry about things x**

**Mandy, Oh no, hope you're virus has blown over. New jobs are always so tiring and stressful to begin with and there's so much information overload too! Hopefully Chloe and Mox can help to start your week properly!**

**xXBalorBabeXx, Mox doesn't want anyone else muscling in on his turf. Although, is it possible he might already be too late (which is me foreshadowing again as usual!)**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Ha, I see what you did there...awkward to the Mox! But yep, awkward grumpy Mox is an absolute treat. Although hopefully laid back, teasing Mox in this chapter is good too!**

**Chloe's POV for this one…**

* * *

**Chloe Takes Care of Mox**

…

The first time Mox had come home from a show looking injured, Chloe had kind of maybe _possibly_ freaked out. Which was probably because she had never had a roommate who had wrestled in glass or barbed wire before. _Or_ had such a poor sense of self preservation. But gradually, bit by bit, it had begun to be the norm. To the point that she barely even batted an eyelid when he came in looking bloodied or bruised or bust up, even if deep down it still made her heart quiver.

Because of the best friend thing.

"How bad this time?" she asked, as she tiptoed in across the lounge in her pjs and then took a seat beside his stretched out form on the couch. He had a bag of peas pressed to his eye, which was a bad sign. Or _good_ she supposed since it was only the one and there weren't any blood or cuts that she noticed. Not that she could see much from the television light.

Mox grunted,

"Bad? Come on. It was _easy_. Like takin' candy from a baby."

"Did that baby have fists?"

"Nope. But he had a baseball bat. Big one. He lit it on fire," Mox lowered the peas so he could grin like an ass and she gasped, not just from the fast forming shiner, but from the bloodshot blue eyeball. Or what she could see of it at least.

"Oh my god. _Mox_."

"I'm fine," he sat himself upright and then wiggled in closer so he could drop his head back onto her lap and then had the actual audacity to wink at her. With his good side that was, "You ought to see the other guy."

"Did you win?"

Her roommate paused for a second,

"Uh, well. That kinda depends here. Do you mean win _legally_ or just win?"

"Just win."

"Yep," he shuffled round until his shoulders were comfy and then frowned as she replaced the frozen peas, "Why are you up?"

She shrugged,

"Couldn't sleep. I guess it must have been my spidey sense telling me that my best friend was somewhere doing something totally mad and, oh look, I was right," she tapped his eye gently with the pad of her finger and he jolted sharply,

"Fuck."

"So you're fine, huh?"

"Jesus Christ woman," he grumbled, trying to bat her cold hands off, "What are you, a freakin' _sadist_ or some kinda shit? Because did I do that with you when you were stuck in that arm brace?"

"That was different."

"How?"

"Because _mine_ was an accident. This is something you do for a living."

"So does that mean you don't want to be my valet? Probably best. I don't think you could 'a hacked it," Mox poked his tongue out and then bit on the tip, which was something he did when he was being an asshole and which she _should _have been pissed at. But damn it he was cute.

"Please," she huffed back, poking his tongue point and then squeaking when he caught her fingertip between his teeth, "I would be the best valet ever and you know it."

"That right, huh?"

She nodded,

"Yep and I would have a cool name. Like Summer or Desiree or – ,"

"First pet an' your first grade teacher," Mox slung back coolly.

She blinked at him,

"What?"

He shrugged,

"That's how you work out your wrestlin' handle. First pet an' your first grade teacher."

"You just made that up."

Or at least, she was ninety nine and a half percent_ sure_ he had. Which still left room for some reasonable doubt.

Mox grinned,

"Hey, I don't make the rules up sweetheart. I just share 'em around."

"Okay then. You first," Chloe crossed her arms and then lifted a brow up. Because, yep, this was _definitely_ going to be good. Mox shrugged beneath her, his most overworked gesture and then waved a loose hand,

"Uh, I never really had a pet. But my mom had this big dumbass boyfriend for a little while. Real dumb. The guy was like a bag 'a freakin' rocks. Probably woulda pissed in the house if she'd let him. So if _that_ counts then I guess my ring name should be Carl Hart."

Chloe blinked,

Typical. Mox's name was a cool one, while hers was well –

Not.

"Did you ever want a pet?"

Another shrug,

"Sometimes, but like honestly sweetheart, I don't think it would have worked out too well for me."

"Why not?"

She could probably guess though based on his childhood, or what little she knew of it and his rough start in life. Although okay, maybe not since he suddenly grinned up at her so hard that his cheeks dimpled and, oh god that was cute.

"I hear tigers don't make great pets in the city. Even if I woulda looked real fuckin' cool with one," he hooked a beer up from the floor and then pointed at her with it, "Okay sweetheart. Looks like it's your turn."

Chloe swiped the bottle away from him swiftly and then took a swig,

"Hey – ,"

"Her name was Rosie."

"Lemme guess," Mox snorted back, sliding the Miller from her fingers and then taking a sip despite being laid flat. Or _almost_ flat except for the head on her knees part, "She was a pony right? Because you _gotta _have had one of those. An' like one of those tight little pairs of fuckin' ridin' shorts."

He walked his hand up her thigh and she slapped him off,

"No. Actually she was a red crested gecko."

"Called Rosie?"

Chloe shrugged at him,

"What? She was cute."

He blinked for a second and then shook his head at her, but he was grinning too which was good, since it made his dimples pop out. He took another swig,

"Okay so what was your teachers' name?"

"I don't want to tell you."

"Is it somethin' dirty."

"No."

"So then what's the big deal here?" Mox dropped the bag of peas down, which lit up his black eye in the glow of the TV. Not that she had any real clue what they were watching. _I Love Lucy_ from the looks of it.

"Miss Lipsch," she sighed,

"What?"

"Miss Lipsch. My first grade teacher. She was Jewish."

"You had a teacher called Miss Lips?"

"Miss _Lipsch_."

"Fuck," Mox was grinning like a kid in a toy store and, oh god she was never going to hear the end of this was she? Nope, "So lemme get this straight here. If you were a wrestler, your name would be," he let loose a goofy chuckle, "Rosie Lips? Oh that's freakin' _awesome_."

She poked him,

"Stop laughing."

"Would you wear cute little hot pants an' a pair of high heels?"

"That depends," she shrugged, "What do the cool kids wear?"

"Nothin'."

God damn it. Chloe felt her cheeks begin to flush solid red as she poked him deliberately under the armpit. Because okay, so maybe Mox had seen her fully naked and writhing in pain in the bottom of the shower, but the thought of it happening again and him _mentioning_ it made her squirm like a schoolgirl,

"Hey," he batted her hand away and then tried hard to pretend he wasn't secretly ticklish,

"Okay, just for that," she chirped in revenge, "If I ever _do _quit my job to be a valet, I'm working for Callihan."

Mox shook his head,

"Nope," he grabbed her hand and then pulled it towards him so she was holding the fast thawing peas across his bruise, before settling back and then shutting his good eye, "M' not lettin' just _any_ fucker have my Rosie Lips."

_Buzz_.

The sudden vibrate alert on her cell phone interrupted them. Which, in hindsight was probably for the best, since was flushing like mad. Perhaps she was getting a touch of flu or something? Because no way was it down to the protective growl of Mox's voice. He was her best friend. Of course he was protective. She fumbled for her cell in the pocket of her hoodie and then smiled when she saw who it was from.

"Who's that?"

"Hmm?"

When she looked down Mox was squinting back up at her, looking kind of like a pirate. She played dumb,

"Um. Who's what?"

"Whoever it is who sent you the message."

"Oh. No one," she winced, not sounding too sure. Because yep, she really needed to work on her acting. Mox raised a brow up from her lap,

"No one, huh?"

"Um. Yep. Wrong number. Or no, one of those promotion things. Five percent off your next shop."

"Uh huh. Yoink," sitting up suddenly he plucked it away from her, letting the peas fall into his lap, which he cursed at a little as they bled through his jean fronts, although that didn't slow him down as he scrambled away from her,

"Mox," letting out a squeak which could have probably shattered crystal, Chloe launched after him in a panic, "Give that back."

He palmed her – as in literally _palmed_ her – in the forehead, leaning back against the cushions with a grin as she flailed and actually reading right the way through the text message.

Damn.

"Dinner on Friday?" he raised a brow, "Are you datin'?"

"No."

"Who's the lucky man?"

Oh god. He was the _worst_. Sitting there smirking like an absolute asshole. She snatched her phone back and then mumbled,

"It's Dan."

"Dan?" he frowned back, scrunching his face up like a baffled little puppy, "Who the fuck is fuckin' Dan?"

"The doctor," she shrugged,

"What doctor?"

"You know, the one who fixed up my shoulder."

The penny dropped.

"Wait. That guy the creep who freakin' _hit on you_ when you were sittin' there all hurt? You mean he actually gave you his_ number_ ?"

Chloe smoothed her PJs out awkwardly,

"Um. Sort of. Except I – uh – gave him _my_ number."

"When?"

Was Mox pouting? Yep. That was definitely a pout, which she guessed was because she hadn't told him about it earlier, since they tended to tell each other every damn thing and it had been a good six weeks since her accident. Not that she and Dan had been texting all that much. Or, well, not until _recently_ anyway.

"When you were bringing the car around," she bit her lip, "Which I know isn't really my style or anything. But, I don't know, I guess I felt kind of a spark and after everything, I mean, I thought what the hell, right?"

Mox blinked at her partly through the eye that wasn't busted,

"Do you like him?"

She blushed and then squirmed,

"I don't know. I mean we've only been out on a couple of dates so far. But he's nice and he's a doctor so, you know," she shrugged, "I was thinking that when we go out with the others he could come along sometime,"

Mox seemed to stiffen a little bit,

"Uh, sure."

"But you have to promise to look after him," she teased him, imagining him meeting Mox's wrestling gang and then absently replacing the peas on his shiner she bit her lip, "Because, you know, I think he could be _the one_."

* * *

**Poor old Mox. Still, tune in next week when he gets to be Chloe's knight in shining armor (sort of…)**


	4. Mox Hates Haunted Houses

**If anyone is wondering the time frame for this...um, well, since it's an AU of sorts, it's set somewhere in Mox's mid twenties, after the events of Squeaker and in a weird dystopian land of Callihans and Youngers and Dragon Gate as you will see! Basically me trying to get as much of Mox's indie career in as possible!**

**xXBalorBabeXx, Mox does have good instincts, but he can also be pretty jealous from time to time, which clouds his judgment a teensy bit!**

**KDGaines08, I like to think it's a healthy mix of self deprecation and not wanting to mess up their friendship that's holding them both back. And maybe a little stupidity too! Look out for more cute Mox in this chapter too!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Many thanks!**

**Mandy, 5am workout! Good for you! I'm out at 6.30am with the dog and I thought that was early enough! Glad you like the chemistry between Mox and Chloe, time for some more methinks (plus a few of Mox's friends thrown in for good measure!)**

**Skovko, Yeah, Mox isn't good at working fast unless it's in a ring (more of that next chapter) but he has been known to take advantage of a situation (in spite of Sami Callihan that is!)**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Well, Doctor Dan is definitely a thorn in Mox's side, but hey, on the plus side, the longer Chloe dates him, the longer you get to read about her and Mox having close-but-not-close-enough moments!**

**XwwecoyoteX, I'm so glad you caught up! You must be exhausted (or burnt out) by now! But yeah, a few unexpected moments coming up for Chloe and Mox (including more of them not speaking up!)**

**Minnie1015, Just a hello for when you get to read this!**

**Chapter 4...**

* * *

**Mox Hates Haunted Houses**

…

Every third Friday of the month notwithstanding, Mox and Chloe went out with his friends. Or _their_ friends as they had become across the eight months that Chloe had become an integral part of his life and the members of which included Callihan and Younger, not to mention Younger's girlfriend.

Oh and Doctor Dan.

Crap.

Or at least, it _would_ include Professor Douchebag that particular night, since Chloe was finally bringing him along, to show him off and make the most of the Halloween fun fair that had rolled into town with all its whistles and bells, but which Mox was looking forward to like a kick in the ballsack. Or something less pleasant. Like nuclear fallout perhaps.

Like usual, he was the first one to spot her, her strawberry hair ruffling in the breeze as she glanced around wide eyed through the milling crowds of people for some faces she knew.

She was on her own.

Huh?

"Hey sweetheart, did you miss me?"

"Mox. _There_ you are," she beamed at him, which, okay, did some things to his stone cold dead heart, "For a minute I thought you'd changed your mind and weren't coming."

"What an' miss out on the fun?"

She'd been chewing her lip and her eyes were kind of _dull_, which he noticed in a heartbeat but didn't have time to question as Sami lurched in, already drunk.

"Heya Chlo. So where's this fancy pants doc you're screwing?"

Mox shot him a glare. He was as subtle as a rock, if _said rock_ happened to be bouncing down a mountain on a direct collision course with a small skiing town. Chloe faltered and her face fell slightly, although she tried to play it off with a smile and a shrug.

"Oh, um, Dan was just called into surgery. One of his patients took a turn for the worse and he promised the daughter he was going to look after her."

Younger's girlfriend seemed to actually melt a little bit,

"Wow."

"Yeah, yeah," Mox huffed, "The guy's a real freakin' hero."

He was being sarcastic, but Chloe nodded.

"He is."

Because clearly she thought he was backing her up on that and not wanting to disappoint her Mox cleared his tight throat and then wrapped a best friend type arm around her shoulder,

"Well look, that don't mean that _we_ can't have a good time. So what do ya say we maybe get a few beers here, an' eat like a whole freakin' _bunch_ of cotton candy?"

Chloe giggled and then grinned up at him,

"Deal."

As it turned out, the fair was aimed mostly at children but as the night wore on the families started to go home, leaving the stalls and the games and the fair rides to the teens and the people in their twenties. Like them, which meant that they were free to get loud and more drunken and a_ lot_ more loose lipped."

"Come on Mox, you useless fuck," Callihan yelled with a bark of amusement as the balloon head Mox was trying to fill up with a water gun stayed limp while next to it Chloe's gradually blew up. Because, huh, who knew she was so good with a pistol? And plus her tongue was out, which was _totally_ cute, curled up in concentration and lapping at her lip gloss and –

"Mox, you're getting fucking beaten by a girl here. No wonder you're single if _that's_ how you aim shit," Callihan whooped. Mox turned on his heel and then pointed the water gun resolutely towards his partner before proceeding to drench him head to toe as Sami yelled and then tried to duck himself in behind Younger, "Fuck you Mox. God damn it. Fuck you."

Mox smirked,

"The fuck was that about my aim, huh asshole?"

From behind him there was the sound of a rubbery pop and Chloe squealing happily,

"Ha. I win Mox, suck it."

Her whole face was lit up like a tree at freaking _Christmas_ as she pumped her fists round and then did a little dance, swinging her hips and then actually grinding as he pulled her in closer and messed her hair up, "Ugh, Mox – ,"

"Nice job partner,"

"Hey, let me go Mox. This isn't very good sporting behavior you know."

He shrugged,

"Who said I had to be a good sport about it?"

Her perfume was wafting up into his nostrils and oh holy fuck, so was that freaking grapefruit stuff. He felt his jeans tighten in around his zipper and then let her go rapidly. Best friend. She was his _best fucking friend_. In response she poked her tongue out at him, which didn't really help things.

"So what are you going to pick Chlo?" Drake's girlfriend chirped happily from where she was tucked in beneath her boyfriend's elbow, all wrapped in his sweater to keep out the evening cold.

The man who ran the stall stubbed his cigarette out and then lumbered forward in a grease smeared top, as Chloe bobbed on her toe tips excitedly and scanned the row of strung up stuffed crap.

"Uh, I think I'm going to choose, _that_ one," Chloe grinned, pointing towards a bright pink and very lurid teddy bear, holding a heart shaped white pillow which said _I wuv you_. Taking it from the trader, she held it out towards him,

"Here Mox. This is for you."

He blinked,

"Huh?"

"To say thank you for being the best, best friend ever and for cheering me up tonight."

He took it from her,

"Uh thanks."

His poor freaking heart was going half-crazy. She_ wuved_ him? Hold up. Was that the same thing as love and wait, because where did Doctor Dan of the Hair Gel fit into things?

"Mox. Are you okay?" Chloe frowned up at him, probably trying to figure why he had gone completely still.

_Best friend_.

"Nah," he gave it back to her, "You keep it. Because, I mean you earned it, after all an' besides, like maybe you can give it to Doctor Romeo the next time you see him."

In response to his suggestion Chloe turned beetroot red and then shuffled her feet in a kind of _awkward_ fashion, like she was trying to dig a hole.

"I don't know, we're not _there _yet."

"But are you gonna be?"

"I – ," Chloe started to answer and holy crap, Mox felt his prying heart almost stop. Or at least, it _would_ have had Younger not shouted and then waved them over.

Damn.

"Hey, they got a haunted house. One of those one where the people jump out at you. Come on losers."

Chloe raised a brow at him,

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"I'll go if you will," Mox sort of faltered. Because fuck, he hated fucking _haunted house_ shit. Or horror films, or even weird creepy ass music. But not that he wanted _her_ to know about that though, which she would if they had people jumping out on them, "Please?"

He shrugged and then scratched at his neck,

"Uh, 'm not real sure. Because, I mean, m' a wrestler, an' 'm kinda _tightly wound_, so anyone screamin' in my face or tryin' to jump out of a wall at me like a dumbass is kinda askin' to get himself punched. Because I mean, I got a natural reflex."

Which was obviously a whole big pile of crap. But at least on the plus side she seemed to buy it.

"Oh come on Mox," she wrapped her hands around his arm and then tugged it until his hand came out of his hoodie pouch and at which point she slotted their fingers together tight. She grinned at him, "Now you won't have to punch anyone and besides, no way am I going in there without you. I mean who's going to protect me?"

She took a step backwards, stretching their hands out and pulling him.

Christ, he was an idiot.

"Alright, alright m' comin'. But if I end up knockin' some freakin' grown clown out, then you gotta come up with the bail money."

She laughed and Mox began to think that maybe facing his worst fear wasn't too bad after all.

He was wrong though. _Dead_ wrong. Which he realized the second they stepped up to the doorway of the tacky looking _Ghostbusters_ rip-off style house, with fake boarded windows and a man dressed like a reaper busy taking peoples tickets.

Callihan grinned,

"Fuck. This is great."

He was practically falling over himself to get in there, which figured. Because Mox was crazy, but _Callihan_ was insane, so he would probably feel perfectly at home among the screaming and the college drama students dressed like banshees and spooks. A woman screamed from somewhere inside the painted prefab and Chloe gripped at him, her eyes wide.

"I gotcha sweetheart," Mox crooned, patting her hand like it was something and nothing, "M' not gonna let anythin' bad happen to ya."

"I know."

Inside the place was much like he had imagined it. An endless series of narrow corridors with cobwebs dangling above and hung right where people would walk face first into them, like he did with each step, cursing bitterly at them.

"Fuck."

Chloe being short seemed to pass by underneath them, but she was still tucked in close to his side nonetheless, which he guessed made the whole freaking thing _kind_ of worth it.

Maybe.

Maybe a _little_.

A clown launched out of the gloom, wearing the whole bright wig and red nose deal but with jagged vampire teeth painted onto his smile and with tears of blood stencilled onto the cakey makeup, which Mox could see as clear as day, as the dude grinned wildly and then screamed at him. Or more sort of growled like a dog at them,

"_Roar_."

Chloe squealed then tucked her head into his elbow,

"Oh god."

"You okay?"

"Okay? I _love_ it," she beamed, before squealing again as a weird banshee woman popped out of freaking _nowhere_ and jerked her head at them, "Eek."

It was probably good that she was holding his hand still, otherwise Mox _definitely_ would have ended up in jail, or with some freaking stage school kid in a headlock. Callihan screamed back at her.

Yep. Insane.

By the time they made it out he was holding the pink teddy bear so freaking hard the head had almost popped off, not that anybody else seemed to notice. Least of all Sami.

"Fuck, let's go again."

Mox glowered at him. Was he kidding? He _had _to be. Chloe bounced on her tiptoes beside him, shaking his arm,

"Ooh, I'm in. That was great."

Mox frowned,

"What? You spent the whole thing freakin' jammed in my shoulder."

"Yeah," she shrugged, "But I was _good_ scared, you know? Like you are before you go and do something stupid, like jumping off a ring post, or hitting someone with a chair. I liked it."

"Perfect," Sami grinned, grabbing hold of her and then starting to lead her away, "Don't wait up."

"Ho, hey there," Mox hooked Chloe back again and then tucked her in safely beneath his arm with a snort, "No you don't."

She shivered and so he took off his Explicit Violence hoodie and then draped it across her shoulders, taking a page from Drake's book and trying not to grin as she wiggled straight into it and zipped it up to her nose with a hum,

"Thanks Mox."

He grunted and then flipped up the hood in its entirety so that it covered her face,

"Beer?"

Predictably Callihan grinned,

"Jesus Moxley. _Now_ you're talking my language."

Chloe nodded back. Who needed Doctor Dan?

"Beer."

* * *

**Next week, Chloe gets herself into a crazy situation and guess who is right there by her side (and is also possibly the cause of it…)?**


	5. Chloe Tries Wrestling

**Bit of craziness in this one, but hopefully in the best way!**

**Skovko, Well, don't worry because Doctor Dan is going to be back at some point. Also, thanks, sometimes when I'm having a brick wall moment, or after I finish a longer one, I like writing stories of 4/5 pages only. Stops the rambling and gets to the point (and I do love to ramble!)**

**KDGaines08, I'm with Mox on Haunted Houses being horrific, but I would certainly go if it meant being tucked under the arm of a big protective wrestler! Chloe gets another fright in this chapter, but in a totally different way!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Many thanks girlfriend!**

**XwwecoyoteX, Aww, thanks very much. Sometimes I feel like my Dean story-well is going dry, then something else hits me and BAM, out pops another story! Glad you're liking this one. This chapter coming up is a particular favourite so hopefully you'll agree!**

**Mandy, Yep, anxiety is the worst, but it can be beaten, bit by bit (getting there myself) Workouts help though, so good for you and throw in an early morning workout for me while you're at it! Glad Chloe and Mox give you something to do when you're not working out though. Always here for ya!**

**xXBalorBabeXx, Mox may or may not (spoiler; he does) cause the chaos in this chapter. Well, not directly perhaps, but it's definitely his fault that Chloe ends up in the mix!**

**Not-that-kinda-gurl, Don't worry, being busy is good. Hope all the things you had going on were good things! Plus there's plenty more Mox and Chloe goodness coming up (except not so much goodness in this chapter. Well, not if you're Chloe anyway!)**

**Ohana1337, Well, I'm not sure Mox does 'regular person' shy, but he certainly does awkward and angry (spoiler; angry comes up in this chapter!)**

**HannonsPen, Aww, relationships that start from friendships are the dream. I haven't had any, but I've certainly had a few occasions where I've wished I had. Maybe Chloe and Mox are me living vicariously through them? Eh. I guess I'm okay with that.**

**Nicolejones0214, Welcome and thank you so much. I'm always pleased to pick new readers up along the way and share my characters (and Dean/Mox). Hope you like this chapter as well. Definitely some more character progression here (I think?!) **

**Minnie1015, Still thinking of you! Hope when you get to catch up with these you do it all in a big binge session and get Mox and Chloe overload!**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Thank you. Glad you're enjoying it and hold on, because this chapter is going to be pretty wild!**

**Here's Chloe…**

* * *

**Chloe Tries Wrestling**

**(Sort Of)**

…

She had known Mox had wanted to ask her something from the way he'd kept stalking in and out of the room, before standing scratching his neck and stalking out again, until eventually she had put her down her romance novel.

"What?"

More itching had followed. She hated when he did that, in case he hurt himself.

"Uh, you know that conversation we had?"

She had lifted a brow,

"You mean about bigfoot and how he could still be living in remote forested woods? Or about how aliens possibly helped to build the pyramids?"

"About you maybe bein' my valet someday."

"Oh. Yes?"

"Uh, well how do you feel about _someday_ bein' Sunday?"

"Huh?" she had blinked, her whole face scrunching up like he had suddenly started to speak in Swahili. Which might have made more sense.

He had scratched again,

"Uh. Trina might _kinda_ have been maybe sorta _arrested_, an' now I gotta find somebody else to fill in. I mean usually I don't even need to have a valet, but we kinda have this thing goin' on with Reby right now, an' I need a girl out there. You interested?"

She had laughed and then laughed a little harder and then wiped her eyes off before realizing that he _wasn't_.

"Wait. You're serious?"

"Dead."

"You – ," she had spluttered, "You want me to fill in for her? Mox I work for an _insurance company_. I haven't been on stage since _Oklahoma _in tenth grade and I was terrible then."

He had snorted,

"You'll be great at it. I mean all you gotta do is like, come out there with me an' shit, an' then watch me wrestle, an' cheer an' that crap."

"But, I mean, what would I wear?"

He had shrugged,

"Wear anythin'. Wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. I mean, I don't care. You can come in those cute freakin' cherry pyjamas just as long as you do it."

She had paused,

"O-okay."

"You mean it?" he had grinned like a child at Christmas, "You'll do it?"

Dear god in heaven, she must have been mad.

"Uh huh."

Which was why she was currently stood in front of a mirror in the musty locker room of a high school sports hall, trying to pull her short shorts down lower and wishing to god she had worn something else. Although the damn things had seemed a good idea when she'd bought them. Like the sort of thing a _proper_ wrestling valet would wear, which was exactly the look she was trying to pull off in them. But _holy crap_ did she ever feel exposed.

A hand thumped the door and made her jump,

"Sweetheart, you in there?"

"Um yep, come in," spinning away from the mirror she stuck her hands out and then bent one leg like a trashy game show host, "Ta da."

Mox stepped in and then stopped short on seeing her, his eyes running up and down her outfit.

"Oh god. Did I get it wrong?" her heart lurched into her throat in an instant, "I knew it. I look stupid. Ugh. Okay, I'll take it off. Maybe my jeans and sweater will work out there, but I'm not sure about my booties and – ,"

"Sweetheart. Hey, whoa," taking one step across the cramped little locker room, Mox ducked down and put his hands on her arms, burning his cool blue eyes right into her and then smirking a little, "Take it easy, you look fine. Actually you look _better_ than fine."

She blushed,

"Really? It's not too much?"

She plucked the hem of her purple top and then watched as Mox cleared his throat like he was awkward. Awkward? Mox?

He licked his lips,

"You look – ,"

BANG.

Both of them jolted as the door burst wide open and a head poked in,

"Mox, get moving man. You're on."

Mox waved a hand,

"Alright Joe, don't bunch your panties. We're goin', we're goin.' You ready for this?"

He was looking right at her, his hand on her cheek bones to make sure he could see her,

She nodded,

"I guess. I mean, it's now or never, right?"

Curling his finger, Mox tucked her chin gently and then winked in a way that made her kind heart of skip, which she guessed was probably nerves. He put his hand out towards her and she clung to it frantically before sucking in a breath and scuttling behind as he strode determinedly out of the locker room and into the hallway.

Holy crap the crowd was loud. They weren't even _out_ there and they were already shouting. Or screaming more like it and baying for blood. Although hopefully not the blood of a rookie who underwrote insurance for a living.

_Oh god_.

They came to a stop behind a badly hung curtain next to a mixing desk and a sweaty looking guy, who seemed to be in control of proceedings. As much as anyone was.

"You got twelve minutes Mox," he barked, clicking his fingers at the young looking sound guy who fired up his entrance music. She had heard it before, but usually from the crowd side. Never from _behind_ it, "She know what she's doing?"

The guy was nodding at her. Probably because she was clamped to her roommate looking like a rabbit in stadium lights. She pulled herself tall and then tried to look confident as Mox frowned back at him,

"Sure she does. Right?"

"Right," she nodded. Because she did. Well, _sort_ of. Plus they had spent a lot of time talking it through. And not just them either, but their opponents for the evening, which in many ways had been like trying to learn some sort of dance. Except one with hitting and kicking and biting. Oh, also Reby Sky scared her.

Like, a _lot._

As Mox's music built up to a crescendo, someone flapped the curtain aside for them a bit and Mox whipped off the shirt he'd been wearing and -

Oh.

He was wearing a pair of tiny wrestling trunks, which Chloe had seen about a billion times before obviously and even _washed_ for him most weeks. But suddenly, there they were. _On_ him with literally nothing else to look at, not including his baby smooth thigh skin and his cutely packed ass cheeks and his -

"Now. You're on. Go Mox."

The guy waved them on with the butt of a clipboard like he was signalling planes off the deck of a ship and then actually _shoved_ her right between her bare shoulders so that she stumbled after Mox, who still had her hand but who moved into his full blown _Jon Moxley_ persona as they stepped into the mayhem.

The place was _packed_. Which okay, in a small room didn't amount to many people, but was still way more than she had bet on there being. Because what were there? Fifty or maybe even a _hundred_ people? Men for the most part, but some women in there too. Large women, screaming and swearing death on the bad guys and then the ring rats as Mox called them, with their breasts half hanging out. The smell of beer and hot stage lights hung thickly and she swallowed.

_Holy crap_. Talk about sensory overload

Up in the ring Reby Sky was stood watching them, in a long leather coat and a pair of killer boots, which made Chloe's hot pants and crop top look stupid. Could it be any worse?

"Making his way to the ring, weighing one hundred and eighty pounds _Jon_ _Moxley_ accompanied by his valet for the night, Rosie Lips."

Oh.

Dear.

God.

Mox squeezed her hand lightly and then chanced a look back at her wearing his full heelish smirk. Yep, she was _definitely_ going to kill him. If Tozawa didn't do it first, which was a definite risk, because _damn_ the pair of them looked totally serious. Had they forgotten it was actually fake?

Mox swung up into the ring and then sat on the rope as Chloe scrambled up after, shaking so hard she was worried she might faint. What in the name of all things holy had she been thinking? She couldn't do this. Mox slung an arm around her neck and then pulled her close so he could kiss her on the forehead, which was showboating for the crowd but kind of helped.

She took a breath

_Okay. Chloe, you're okay. Mox is with you_.

Reby was glaring up a storm across the ring but since that was all just a part of the gimmick, she glared back at her and then gradually started to relax.

Kind of.

"Remember Rosie Lips," Mox grinned into her hairline, "Just like, whoop an' cheer an' shit. Can you do that?"

"Uh huh."

"_There's_ my girl."

He pulled back and then pushed her, playing up the whole big asshole routine, which she went with huffing and then folded her arms over before flicking her hair back. People whistled at her.

Huh. Maybe it wasn't so bad being out there after all.

_Ding ding_.

As the bell rung she scrambled out of the ring and then dropped to the floor to play up the doting valet like he had coached her on earlier. Not that she had to act much. Seeing her best friend getting near enough pummelled was never easy, even though she knew the moveset was planned, or things that they had each pulled a million times over. They still had to hurt.

She slammed the canvas,

"Come on Mox."

Beyond her, Reby was stalking round like a tiger, but she was far enough away that Chloe calmed down a bit and besides which, she was waiting for the pivotal moment. Her big debut starring role in the whole thing. All she had to do was wait for the signal and -

_There_.

She whipped a hand out and caught Tozawa's leg, just as he was bouncing himself back against the ring ropes and just like they had told her to do to help Mox win the match. It wasn't a hard or _grabby_ kind of movement, more the _illusion_ of having interfered and messed things up and honestly the roar of the crowd at her actions made her weirdly sort of _like_ being the evil bitchy heel. For once she could actually get what Mox saw in it.

Then Reby came out of nowhere and slapped her. _Hard_.

_BAM_.

Her head snapped around with her hair flying after as the force of the blow knocked her physically back. Her hand flew up to her cheek in an instant and she gaped. Her whole face was on fire.

What the hell?

In front of her - or okay, sort of _above_ her, because holy hell her heels were high - Reby was shouting and screaming like a banshee, fully in character,

"That's what you get bitch. That's what you get when you put your hands on my man. Not so big now, huh?"

Chloe's eyes filled with tears. Partly because of the stinging sensation, but also because she had never been hit before and _especially_ not in front of a room full of strangers. Had that been a part of the plan and she'd forgotten it? Reby was eyeing her purposefully.

_Hit me back_.

But she couldn't she just - _couldn't_.

"Hey," Mox slid into view suddenly, clearly barely managing to hold onto his shit, which told her that _no,_ a slap had _not_ been in the play by play, "The fuck are you doin'?"

The crowd was going wild, loving the slap and the heat and the aggression. But Chloe didn't though.

She was definitely _not_ Miss Rosie Lips.

* * *

**N.B. Reby Sky scares me honestly, so I couldn't help but put her in as the baddie here! Next week, we get the fallout of the slap and Mox is **_**not**_ **happy**


	6. Mox Is Angry

**Okay, time for some protective Mox (I know that's what you all want) but with some sweetness thrown in alongside it because, well, I **_**also**_** know that's what you want!**

**KDGaines08, Aww, thanks, I love being called awesome! You got me blushing over here! But yeah, Reby definitely came out of nowhere in that last one and Mox in particular is especially pissed. But hey, I mean, that's how we love him!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Many thanks!**

**Moxley Gal1, There's more Doctor Dan coming up in a couple of weeks, so don't worry, I haven't forgotten about him. Just letting that part of things bubble underneath the surface!**

**Not-that-kinda-gurl, Yeah me neither and I can't think of a worse place to get slapped for the first time than in front of a bunch of rowdy fans. Still, at least she's got Mox to make it better in this one (sort of, once he's done swearing death on everything!)**

**XwwecoyoteX, Yep, the old double whammy. Miss Rosie Lips (for one night only) and then Reby in full bitch mode! Mox is definitely pissed alright, but luckily Chloe knows how to talk him down off the ledge. Cuteness ahead!**

**Mandy, As always, you're welcome! Glad you're loving Mox and Chloe's interactions. This chapter is particularly good on that side of things (I like to think!) Hope your anxiety hasn't been giving you too much trouble this past week and that work isn't too busy. Stay strong. You got this girl!**

**Skovko, Yeah, definitely a one night only deal after that I think. Insurance brokers are not meant to be wrestlers, although it's good for all the other insurance brokers that Chloe has tried it out for them now and can tell them not to attempt it themselves!**

**xXBalorBabeXx, Reby is truly terrifying! Although as Chloe is going to show in this chapter (and the next one) she's not as much of a pushover as she looks (well, not always!)**

**Minnie1015, Sending love! Also I know you're going to be reviewing eventually, so I couldn't not thank you in advance could I?! So yeah, hi *waves***

**Cuteness. So much cuteness.**

* * *

**Mox Is Angry**

…

Mox had never been more damn pissed in his existence. Not even when Bobby Grenner had broken his nose in third grade, trying to execute a wild flying headbutt. Mox was furious. No damn it, he was _murderous_ and as far as he was concerned, there was one person to blame.

"What the fuck did she think she was doin'?" he growled for the ninth time, practically wearing a groove in the floor as he paced like a lion beside the torn up pool table in the crappy little bar they had pulled into to unwind. Or more specifically since he was way too riled up to be driving, "Comin' outta nowhere an' whackin' you like that. Because I mean, sure, she can pull that kinda stiff shit with Trina. She knows what's comin'. But _you_?"

"I'm okay Mox," Chloe sighed. She was sitting on a bar stool by the edge of the table, holding a pool cue having just potted a black and was waiting for her roommate to come and take his next go at it.

"Fuck."

Her cheek was still _so_ fucking red, in spite of all the ice he had dumped on it in the locker room. Well, in between shouting at Reby that was,

"_You freakin' bitch. She's a fuckin' insurance broker for christ sakes."_

"_I was running the angle Mox."_

"_Fuck the fuckin' angle."_

"Mox."

"Huh?"

Back in the real world he stopped his pacing and looked up again. Chloe was poking him in the butt cheek with her pool cue, leaning over the table and biting down her lip as she cheekily tried to prod him back to reality,

"I hope you're not just stalling because you know I'm going to win."

Jesus. He blinked. There he was going psycho and meanwhile there _she_ was with a handprint on her cheek, trying her best to make sure _he_ felt better. He didn't deserve her really. Not for a second.

"C' mere."

In spite of the fact that he had grunted it _at_ her, _he_ was the one who moved across the sticky floor – because the bar they had found was really _not_ so appealing, but it had pool and it had beer so who was he to complain? Reaching his arms out he pulled her towards him, tucking her into a full frontal hug and then resting his cheek on her long rosy tresses.

Rosie. _Ugh_ –

Okay maybe not.

She wrapped her arms around him and he sighed,

"Fuck. I'm sorry Chlo."

"It's not your fault Mox," she mumbled into his shirt, "And like I told you before, I'm fine, really. I mean, it takes more than that to keep a redhead down you know."

"Does it still hurt?" he grumbled, pulling her back to get a look at her and then carefully brushing his thumb pad over her cheek. She winced but then tried to play it off again bravely,

"Um, no? Not too much. And anyway, if I _does_ then I can always do this. Look," she picked up her beer bottle and then pressed it to the finger marks, "See? All good."

"No it's freakin' not."

He pulled her up onto her feet again, holding her hand as she slid off the stool and then taking the pool cue as she blinked in bewilderment,

"What are we doing?"

"I'm teachin' you some freakin' moves. Nothin' big or flashy, an' it's not gonna look pretty, but if somethin' ever happens, I wanna know you got a choice."

"You mean like if I ever get smacked by a valet? Because _next_ time I'll be ready."

Chloe held out her fists and then tried not to grin as he pushed them back down again, snorting at her fondly.

"Alright Scrappy Doo. Put 'em down kid, we ain't throwin' right hooks here, because I kinda get the feelin' that fist fightin' ain't your deal. An' besides, if you ever get into it with someone then you don't wanna hit 'em, you wanna take 'em down."

"How?"

Okay, so she was interested. That was a good thing. He centred her shoulders,

"Right, for starters stand like this. Knees bent slightly – whoa, not _that_ much. Take it easy, we're not doin' freakin' squats here. That's better. One foot in front, yeah, like that."

As Chloe grinned and then giggled a little he snapped his fingers at her.

"Hey. I'm gonna need some focus here."

He was screwing around with her of course. Well, mostly, because no freaking _way_ could he ever get pissed with her. Although inside he was a hundred percent deadly serious. He _neede_d to protect her, or at least let her protect _herself_, because if someone worse than Reby fucking Sky ever came at her, then she'd need to do a lot more than just stand freaking there. She nodded back and then threw a salute in, which, okay – fuck – was totally cute.

"Teach me Yoda."

"Jesus Christ," he grunted back her, rolling his eyes like his heart _wasn't_ going mad, then putting her hands up onto his shoulders and shaking them until she grabbed hold of his hoodie. He nodded, "Okay, now here's what I want you to do for me sweetheart. I want you to pretend you're attackin' me. 'Kay?"

She frowned,

"Am I attacking you because you took the last bath towel? Or ate the roast chicken I was saving for work, meaning I had _nothing_ to put in my sandwich?"

He huffed at her,

"Oh come on, the chicken thing was months back. Let it go already."

"I had _nothing for lunch_," she emphasised, as Mox got himself into position and flexed his knees. He ignored her,

"Okay, so what you're gonna wanna do if here some asshole has grabbed you an' backed you up against a wall – an' nine times outta like, _ten_ when it happens, they're try an' go for you up here," he tapped her hands, still bunched in his hoodie indicating a height based attack, "So what you wanna do is knock 'em off balance by duckin' in low an' then pushin' 'em back. Like this."

He hunkered down and then batted her arms off, before stepping himself in close to her ribs and then bumping her back in a football style tackle using the flat of his shoulder. Holy crap she smelt good.

"Ooh."

Because he was frightened of hurting her, he'd only done the move half speed, but she still looked startled. Well, that and excited.

She grinned,

"Can I try?"

He nodded at her,

"Sure. But remember, I'm a big freakin' mugger or somethin', m' not Mox, okay? So like, no holdin' back. It's midnight an' you're walkin' down a dark alley. _Action_."

She snorted but then turned and went along with the scenario, stepping away from him. Mox stepped up behind and then tried not to look at her ass like a pervert. But _fuck_ it was hard since she was still in the shorts, which were peeking out beneath the bulky hem of her sweater and hugging _all_ the right places. She suddenly stopped and he nearly ended up walking straight into the back of her as she turned and kept the imagined scene up,

"Excuse me. Can I help you?"

The front of his jeans hitched and he cursed internally and shifted his leg, before belatedly remembering that he was _trying_ to protect her from his big, alley stalking, mugger alter ego self. He grunted,

"Uh yeah. Gimme your phone, an' your wallet, an' like, whatever."

"No," her eyes flashed teasingly, "Make me."

Fuck.

Putting his hands out he clapped them down over her shoulders, in the same place that she had been grabbing him before, bundling the material up in his fingers and trying to ignore the hot rush of her perfume. Her brow crumpled briefly,

"Um, so what do I do again? I bend my knees and what?"

"Ya gotta push my arms up. They're weakest from the bottom," she did and he let go of her, "Now like, shoulder charge me back. Make sure you get your head to one side though, don't like, go an' fuckin' screw your neck up."

She bumped him with her shoulder and he dutifully stepped back again, not wanting to ruin her confidence on the first go. He nodded,

"Good. Now do it again sweetheart. Only _this_ time m' not gonna go so easy on you, ya hear?"

She lifted a brow up in challenge,

"Oh no?"

"Nope."

"Fine, in that case, bring it on Mox," stepping back she actually waggled her fingers, like Rocky or something. Fuck he loved her. Wait. _What_? "Come and get me big boy."

Spinning around she walked away from him, sashaying her butt and nearly making him come undone. He actually forgot he was even _meant_ to be fake mugging her. For a second at least.

"Mox?"

"Uh, comin'," he grabbed her arm and then spun her around with the full Moxley glower – because two of them could play at the method acting thing. He snarled in her face as he gripped tight to her shoulders, much tighter than the last time and sniffed her hair, "_Mmm_. So what's a pretty girl like you doin' in _this_ neighborhood?"

She blinked at him,

"Um, I – ,"

"Out here all on your own. You need to be careful. I mean, _anythin_' could happen."

He stepped in closer and she shivered a little bit, because big bad Jon Moxley could be an _ass_ sometimes and not to mention a scary one at that. He slid his hand down her arm, tracing her spine through the hoodie and then tracing towards the shorts. She seemed mesmerized. Fuck. Did he stop or keep going and pretend he was in character? Which he was. Right? Holy crap, her lips were so close and her big green were blinking up at him imploringly. If he just –

If he just –

Then suddenly she moved. Roughly shoving his arms up off her and then squatting in low and driving into his waist, which wasn't so much _hard_ as more out of nowhere and so therefore drove him backwards in sheer surprise alone. He bumped into the wall of the crummy little dive bar, which almost upset the rickety dartboard overhead and then let out a grunt of consternation as she slid down low and cinched his knees together.

"Ho fuck – ," he flailed his arms, but couldn't stop himself falling and then sliding down the wall in a thud onto his ass. As soon as he was down, Chloe popped back up grinning, her hair across her face,

"Did I do it okay? Oh, uh, sorry for throwing that last bit in there. Guess I must have got carried away."

Mox reached up and brushed the hair out of her eye line, sweeping it backwards with a fond sounding grunt and trying to play down how hot he was getting with her hanging over him.

He had it bad.

"You did fine."

* * *

**Next week, Chloe's new skills are put to the test in a very unlikely setting.**


	7. Chloe Puts Her Skills to Good Use

**Well, here we are. Back again and this week is all Chloe. You go girl!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Many thanks love!**

**Moxley Gal1, Doctor Dan is back next week, when you should get a few more answers to your questions, although you'll have to wait a little while longer to see how things pan out in the end.**

**xXBalorBabeXx, Yep, Mox just can't help herself and Chloe isn't exactly a shrinking violet either. As you will see in this chapter. Independent women for the win!**

**KDGaines08, Glad you like it! I love writing about beaten up Dean mostly, but occasionally I get a real itch to write protective Dean with feelings around women, or in this case, protective Mox. Plus I like a good slow burn!**

**Mandy, Well, hopefully the big things at work end up being good things in the long run. But in the meantime, Mox and Chloe will be here to keep you going (and then I've got a Private Eye Dean story to post, which I cannot wait to share!)**

**Skovko, Check back next week for Mox sort of, maybe, badly trying to express some feelings in his own unique Moxley way (although, you're right, it might not be what he's hoping!)**

**Ohana1337, Welcome to the gang. Glad you're enjoying it and yes, I am particularly proud of the name Rosie Lips!**

**XwwecoyoteX, Haha, I know, I can be a tease on the build up (as you've probably worked out by now) but hopefully that means when it finally happens (**_**if**_** it finally happens, I mean, let's try and keep some mystery here) then it will be all the sweeter.**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Aww, thank you and don't apologise for missing a week. Life does tend to get in the way of reading and writing and all the fun things we want to do! Cuteness is my speciality! Although brace yourself, there's not much of it this week (sorry not sorry!)**

**Not-that-kinda-gurl, Aww, your hubby sounds lovely! And yep, Chloe is going to put her skills to good use in this chapter! No Mox here, but he certainly gets mentioned a whole lot.**

**Minnie1015, I've left the light on for you!**

**Here we go...**

* * *

**Chloe Puts Her Skills To Good Use**

…

Just as pretty much everyone had predicted, due to the quarterly downturn in revenue the insurance company Chloe worked for was bought out in the fall and a brand new boss was wheeled in a few weeks later. A young guy. All white teeth and gelled hair and flashy ties.

Being a junior underwriter – and so therefore not important – Chloe didn't have a lot to do with him day to day and nor was she ever introduced to him properly. But on the plus side he hadn't fired her and so that was okay. In fact, by the time of the hallowed office Christmas party, she was starting to feel almost vaguely self-assured. She had a job, a best friend and a hot doctor boyfriend and so frankly, with all things taken into consideration, life was in fact going pretty darn well. Which was what she was explaining to Janet from accounting right before things started going – uh, _not_ so well.

Or to be more specific, before things started going horribly. Because _holy crap_, did they ever go downhill.

"So this _Mox_ guy," Janet took a sip of weak eggnog, "Is he the doctor you're dating?"

"Mox?" Chloe spluttered, "Oh no. He's my roommate. Well, that is, he's my roommate and my best friend. He's a wrestler. We're not – I mean, we aren't _together_. We're just – we're just friends."

"Oh, sorry," Janet shrugged. She was wearing a pair of Santa hat earrings which swung with the motion, "Silly me. My mistake. It's just, you've been talking about him all evening, so I just sort of _assumed_, well, you know," she tailed off as Chloe blinked in back in abject bewilderment.

_Had _she been talking about him all evening? Because okay, so she had _possibly_ mentioned his recent win _and _the fact that he had said something funny at breakfast and – oh god. She _had_ been talking about him all night.

Dipping her head she took a sip of her spritzer. Not that she had actually wanted to drink at all, but Dave from maintenance who was manning the drinks bar was determined to make everyone have a good time and a spritzer was the minimum she had been able to get away with since she hated eggnog fiercely and could hardly risk a Jager Bomb. Or not with her brand new _boss _thereshe couldn't anyway.

"So, what do you make of him?" Janet asked like a mind reader, both of them watching as the cheap suit of their employer positively _schmoozed_ his way around the room.

Chloe shrugged,

"I'm not sure, but I mean he seems – ,"

"Creepy?"

Chloe blinked. Because _actually_ she had been going to say 'keen'. Although admittedly _creepy _was a better description, since he seemed to only be talking to the women wearing short skirts and not bothering to look them in the face a whole lot either. He couldn't. He was too busy staring at their breasts.

Clearing her throat, Chloe turned back brightly,

"Refill?"

Dave had moved away from the bar to have a dance and so at least there was a mild chance of not getting hammered, which seemed like a good thing.

Janet nodded,

"Something strong."

Or at least there was a mild chance of _her_ not getting hammered, since Janet evidently had very different plans.

"Coming right up," Chloe smiled back winningly, taking the empty glass and then squeezing through the crowd, since it seemed like the whole entire _company_ had turned up, wearing Santa hats and blocking the door to the break room, which had been jazzed up inside with paper chains and Christmas lights, plus a small fake tree in one corner next to – more importantly – the makeshift drinks bar.

Having the Christmas party in their actual _office_ had never exactly been Chloe's idea of real fun, since the whole point of the holidays was getting _away_ from there. But on the plus side, it certainly saved on the bills, since all they had to do was chip in for a little alcohol. Or a _lot_ in Janet's case, although thankfully the room was clear and so Chloe quickly poured out a hefty glug of eggnog and was busy adding in some extra brandy on top, when suddenly she heard heavy footsteps behind her, scuffing a little on thinly carpeted floor.

"Well, well, well," _busted_, "What's going on here then?"

Chloe winced and then turned around slowly. Brad Walker, her new boss, was stood framing the doorway, an empty glass of something amber colored in his hand and a smile painted over his paunchy red features. But not a cute smile with dimples or a tongue peek like Mox had. Because really, his smiles were kind of the best. Not that she knew why she was thinking about her roommate.

_Stop it Chloe. You love Dan_.

God she wished Mox was there. But he'd had to go to work at short notice and –

_Dan_. God damn it. She meant _Dan _had gone to work.

Brad stepped forward with a smirk,

"Colette isn't it? Or, no," he clicked his fingers, "Claudia? Colleen?"

"Chloe."

"_That's_ it," he grinned. He was totally wasted, so clearly Dave from maintenance's cocktail skills had hit again, "Chloe from underwriting. Looking all sexy."

"Excuse me?"

Brad snorted,

"Oh man. Did I say that? Must be all the hooch, huh?" he stumbled into the room fully, leaving all the chatter and the music in the bullpen and then quietly shutting the door closed behind him.

_Uh oh. Not good._

Chloe seized up at once and then swiftly backed up into the drinks bar which jingled behind her. Because yep, real smooth.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"Who me?" he shrugged back at her, like the whole situation was a perfectly normal one, or like he _wasn't_ weaving around like a newly walking toddler with a new pair of shoes. Which he totally was, "I'm just having another drink. Can I get you a refill?"

"No, uh, thank you."

"Suit yourself Collette," he grinned, stepping towards her and then actually pinning her back against the bartop before proceeding to pour himself a new drink around her. As in _literally_ around her, with his arms held out on either side and with his stale smelling suit front pressed up against her and rubbing steadily but surely over her boobs.

She ducked away,

"Seriously? What is _wrong_ with you?"

She actually surprised herself with how angry she was. Well, angry and scared, but for the most part super angry. Huh, living with a brawler must have rubbed off on her a bit, since even her fists were all curled up for action. Like Mox had taught her back at the bar.

"What?" Asshole Brad shrugged back at her creepily, "I can't get to know my employees _personally_?"

"Not _that_ personally, no," Chloe spluttered as he pounded a shot and then wiped his lips with his knuckles before turning towards her with a glint in his eye. Outside in the office there was a cheer of hilarity as somebody started to breakdance on a desk – probably _her_ desk since it wasn't really her evening – although it briefly threw Creeptacular Brad off his game.

Holy crap, she _really _wished Mox was there with her.

"Oh come on now honey," Brad shrugged again, which seemed his go-to manoeuvre, "You mean you _didn't_ put that dress on for me? With those tight little curves and that scandalous neck line," he traced a clumsy hourglass looking figure with his hand, which slopped what was left of the whisky in his tumbler, before blinking down at the newly stained carpeting, "Whoops."

"Mr. Walker, you're drunk," Chloe offered back calmly. Or as calmly as she was able while being hit on by her boss. Her new boss. Her _married _new boss who she knew had children, not to mention a pretty blonde wife, who was probably at home thinking all about how lucky she was to have such a hard and dedicated worker for a spouse. Poor cow, "Um, I think you need to go home now so you can try and sleep things off before you do something you might regret."

"You mean like this?" he grinned, lurching towards her with his lips all puckered, but missing by a mile. Partly because of the being all drunk thing, but _mostly_ because she ducked and made a frantic run towards the door. Which was not so easy to pull off in backless kitten heels or a stupid too tight pencil dress as it turned out, since Brad was able to grab her by the elbow and then spin her back around again,

"Hey._ I'm_ the boss here."

He had his hands on her upper arms just like Mox had shown her in the dive bar after her disastrous turn as his valet and _just in case_ she ever needed to defend herself.

Thank you god.

She even didn't think twice. Making sure one foot was in front of the other, she bent her knees a little before shoving his hands off, which because he had nothing but bare skin to hang onto, slid away pretty easily. _Plus_ he stumbled, because –

_Drunk_.

"Hey, come on sweetheart."

Only Mox called her sweetheart and remembering her roommate spurred her into the final move. Ducking down low with her head to one side as instructed, she slammed her shoulder into her new boss with an angry yell and then shoved him back as hard as she could manage. Which probably actually wasn't very hard at all, but still made the handsy drunk stagger clumsily backwards and then slam himself kidneys first right into the makeshift bar, hard enough to knock over several bottles and glasses. Oh and curse. Because he did that too.

"_Fuck_."

Instantly the door to the break room swung open as Dave from maintenance came in to check on his beloved pub. But behind him pretty much the rest of the office was staring in trying to work out what had gone on. Not that it really took _Columbo_ to figure it, since Chloe was stood there red faced and with her fists balled and trying to blink back a furious trickle of tears as their new boss scrabbled around among the glass shards. Janet stepped forward with a look of consternation,

"Chloe?"

"I want her arrested," Brad screamed, drunkenly trying to wipe eggnog off his cufflinks which were shaped like tiny race cars, "That was assault."

"Yes it was," Chloe bit back suddenly, "But it certainly wasn't _me_ doing the assaulting."

Asshole Brad turned puce,

"You're fired."

"Well bad news boss, you _can't _fire me," Chloe yelled back. God she had never been more angry. Not even with Mox and the whole turkey sandwich thing, which meant that he was definitely, _definitely_ rubbing off on her. In a good way though. A _really_ good way, "I quit. Because I would rather test canned dog food for a living than have to work one second longer for an asshole like you."

"Damn," someone back in the office chuckled drunkenly, although everyone else seemed totally stunned and, crap she wished she had a mike she could drop down. But she didn't and so to that end she spun on her heel and then stalked through the office with her face turning beetroot. From fury she figured, except nope, there was a tear. She held herself together right the way to the cloakroom, where she grabbed her coat and bag before storming out through the door. At which point she started to break down and snivel.

She had just quit her job.

_Oh god, oh god_.

She had quit her job two weeks before _Christmas._ What the hell had she been _thinking_? How would she eat? Or _even_ begin to pay the rent for the townhouse? Not to mention that her boss has just tried to come onto her.

As the tears began to fall she scrabbled blindly at her purse folds, fumbling her cell loose and then scrolling through the names.

_Dan Cell_.

She paused with her finger stretched out over it, then kept on scrolling right on down through the alphabet until she hit the only name listed underneath M. Except for her mom who was listed as _Mamarino_. She pressed his name decisively and then let it ring. Her best friend answered in less than a second,

"Heya sweetheart. What's the rub?"

"Mox?" she sniffed, "Can you pick me up?"

* * *

**Next week Mox makes Chloe an offer. See you back here to find out what it is!**


	8. Chloe Gets an Offer She Can't Refuse

**Well, here you go everyone. A little bit early today because it's a Bank Holiday and I have nothing better to do than post up another chapter for you good folks (it's also too damn hot to do anything). Also, welcome to the first Christmas chapter...in August!**

**Rebel8954, Yep, knowing a few wrestling moves certainly came in handy! Besides, she was too good for job anyway and yes, it turns out that Mox was definitely not happy!**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Mox's offer is definitely a good one! Although she gets a lot of offers in this chapter. Some of them good, some of them better than others…**

**Wolfgirl2013, Many thanks.**

**xXBalorBabeXx, You're right, she probably should sue. But I think hitting him and then calling him out in front of his new employees is the kind of justice she prefers. Although she's feeling a little bit sorry for herself in this chapter. Well, for some of it!**

**xwwecoyotex, Chloe is definitely worried about Mox paying her (former) boss a visit, but luckily he has another plan instead. I'm sooo glad you're looking forward to the Private Eye story, I literally cannot **_**wait**_ **to share it with everyone! **

**KDGaines08, Well, that simmering will-they, won't-they tension carries on in this chapter and I think it's safe to say that their are things they both wish they could say. But then the course of true love never did run smooth!**

**Mandy, My mum is good, nearly fully weight bearing on her ankle again. Thanks for asking :) I hope being busy at your new job is a good thing, even though I'm sure it's tiring. More cute Mox and Chloe in this chapter and oh my god, I'm **_**so**_ **excited about my PI story. Coming up just as soon as this story ends!**

**Skovko, Confession, I didn't deliver on your request for pjs and popcorn, but there is talking in this chapter (yay). Or, okay, more like talking but not saying what they really want to say (boo...yay!)**

**ThatGirl54, Aww, thank you so much. I'm so glad you're enjoying it, makes all the blood, sweat and tears of writing it worthwhile. :)**

**Not-that-kinda-gurl, Yeah, even though there was no Mox in that last chapter, Chloe needed her time to kick some serious butt! Although there are going to be some ramifications in this chapter and mild panic about the future as well!**

**Minnie1015, Whoop whoop! Yay! Welcome back to the crazy. You're just in time for the build towards the end (the slow build though, obviously, since it's me we're talking about here!) Definitely missed you, but mostly just glad that you're better again!**

**Now, on with the story...**

* * *

**Chloe Gets An Offer She Can't Refuse**

…

"What you do?"

"Huh?" Chloe looked up from the carpet where she was sprawled longways like a kid on her front, to find her roommate Samara peering down at her as if she'd gone loopy. Which maybe she had since there were fifteen newspapers spread all around her, flung open to the job pages and there was a highlighter pen between her teeth. Pulling it out she blinked up at the Russian and then frowned in confusion, "Um, I'm looking for a job."

"What heppen to old job?"

Oh come _on_. Was she serious?

"My boss tried to grope me at the staff Christmas party. You were stood in the hallway watching when I got home. Mox was so mad he threw a potted plant out of the window."

"Oh _dat_," Samara shrugged, "I thought he vas drunk."

Chloe blinked. Samara was a curious character — well, that was if the word _curious_ also meant completely insane — with close cropped black hair, a jet black nose ring and an indifference that seemed to cover most things in life, from food choices, to friendships, to the state of the universe _and_ evidently, what was happening in her roommates' lives. Even though one of them had come home shaking and the other one cursing angrily only four days before. Really it was a wonder that Mox hadn't tracked Brad down yet and either ripped out his throat or tried to strangle him to death. Unless of course that was where he had gone to that evening, since it was already a half past seven and he didn't have a match.

Samara sat down, curling catlike into the cushions then blinking down at the fanned out papers and highlighter scribble,

"So, vot do you pick?"

Chloe sighed,

"Um, well I'm not really sure yet. It's mostly just bar work and cleaning. Which is fine. It's just I guess I was hoping for something more — ," she gestured, not wanting to say _difficult_ and come off like a snob, "I mean, not that beggars can really be choosers but — ,"

"I give you job."

Chloe stared at her,

"What?"

"I said I give you job," Samara shrugged coolly, not even bothering to look up from her nails and for a second Chloe figured that she must have been joking. She had never really got the Russian humor after all, or been too sure that Samara even _had_ one. But nope, she was serious.

"I run day spa in town. You know finance?"

"I — I have a degree in it."

"Good," Samara nodded like the whole thing was settled, which, evidently in her mind it was, "In that case I give you job. I very rich. I no need roommates. I just like the companies."

"_Company_?" Chloe squeaked, "But — but you always act like you hate us."

Samara ignored her,

"You start Monday at nine. Oh and by the way, you drive me to work now."

Standing up coolly she sauntered out of the living room, leaving her baffled redhead roommate behind and passing Mox in the doorway — thank god, _there_ he was. He smirked at her,

"Dmitri."

"Bite me," she replied, moving right back to her standard demeanor and holy frick on a stick, was she ever weird? Stepping into the room Mox turned a cheerful grin on her,

"Evenin' sweetheart, how's the job huntin' goin'?"

Chloe paused,

"Um, it's going pretty well actually, although — question — have you ever thought to ask Samara what she does for a living?"

"No," he dropped down onto the couch, "Have you?"

"No. Although I'm kind of beginning to wish I had done. I mean, did you know that she owns her own spa?"

"A real one or a brothel?" Mox shrugged back casually, seeming to suddenly know a whole lot about spas and making her falter a little in bewilderment, "Oh, I don't know. I kind of didn't think to ask. But a real one I guess, or I mean, at least I _think_ so. Because why would a brothel need their books doing?"

"Huh?" Mox looked up at her in obvious confusion and she flapped a loose hand at him.

"Uh, nothing."

It could wait.

"Good, 'cos I got somethin' I been wantin' to say here."

Chloe felt her heart hitch. Which, okay, was weird, because _why_ would she be nervous about anything _Mox_ said? Unless of course he said —

"You wanna spend Christmas with me?"

"What?" right, okay, so that wasn't what she'd expected. Not even _close_ to it, "Christmas?"

He nodded,

"Yeah. I mean, what with you not bein' able to go home for it this year. You know, like, what with your parents an' everythin'."

Oh yeah.

Because in between losing her job — no, _quitting_ — her parents had announced that they were going away this year, but that everyone was more than welcome to join them provided they could buy tickets to Maui. Which she could not. Not even _before_ she had been fire — uh _walked_ _out_ of there — so there went her nice cosy Christmas at home, surrounded by family and juicy home cooking. Which honestly all seemed _super_ unfair.

Mox nodded,

"Uh huh. I mean like, think about it, because sure you'd have to put up with me in a car for nine hours, an' my sister an' her husband are pretty freakin' borin', but my baby sister Katie is a real awesome kid. Kinda the best fuckin' person in our family, an' she's heard all about you. You two are _totally_ gonna get on."

"Is she like you?" Chloe grinned, sitting up again and leaning back against the armchair,

"Nah," Mox shook his head, "She's freakin' _way_ better. An' she's smarter n' me too, an' like, _funny_ an' so cute it's unreal."

"I like her already."

Mox gave her a look a weird look. _Nice_ weird though, because it was definitely a nice smile. But there was something else too, like he was holding back somehow, or awkward about something, although she didn't know what. He licked at his lips and _god_ she loved when he did that, with his little lizard tongue point and —

"Hey sweetheart?"

"Um, yes?"

Suddenly he was right back to scratching his neck again, his free fingers tapping wildly on his restless, bobbing leg. Reaching out she placed her pinky finger against his boot toes and it instantly stopped bouncing.

"I been kinda thinkin'."

"Uh huh?"

He sucked in a breath,

"Would you — would you wanna like, maybe sometime, wanna try an' — ,"

_Knock knock._

_No_.

"Da fuck is _that_?" Mox's head jerked up in frustration as somebody started to hammer at the door. Samara called out down the hallway,

"I get it."

Chloe licked her lips,

"So, anyway, you were saying?"

"Forget it," he huffed, standing up from the sofa and then fumbling a cigarette out of his pants, before crossing to the window and heaving the sash up. At once icy cold December air blew in around them and ruffled her fanned out newspapers,

"Uh, so," he cleared his throat, "Like, whaddya think? Figure that maybe you could stand spendin' the Christmas period with your beaten up roommate?"

Could she ever?

She opened her mouth, but was swiftly interrupted by the trample of footsteps and then a warm sounding voice from the doorway,

"_There's_ my special girl."

"_Dan_?"

Her beaming boyfriend was silhouetted in the hall light and seeing him made a sudden cloud of butterflies rise up. Because really he _was_ incredibly handsome. And a doctor and interesting and —

And —

Not Mox

Hunkering low he bent in to kiss and then sat himself beside her on the floor,

"Now what's all this?"

"I was looking for a job."

"I see and did you find one?"

"Um," Chloe blinked a little, "You know, actually I did."

"Well that's wonderful news baby," Dan smiled back winningly, but without the dimples that Mox always had. Or at least whenever he was really, _really_ happy. Or sometimes confused, or especially _both_, "Well then it that case it looks like this a double celebration."

"Celebration," she frowned glancing up at him, "For what?"

Mox was still stood across the room chain smoking and as her eyes flicked towards him Dan seemed to spot him too and his smile slid slightly as he realized they had company, since he had never really gotten Mox's quirkiness,

"Hello Jon."

Also Dan had never called him Mox. Not ever, or more to the point he had sort of _refused_ to.

"_Mox_?" he had snorted the first time she'd mentioned it to him, "_Come on Chloe that's hardly a name. I mean, be real, we're fully grown adults, not a high school football team. You can't expect me to call him Mox._"

"Doc," Mox snorted in return in the present, making up for the lack of a nickname by using one himself. Dan stiffened instantly,

"Um, celebrate _what_?" Chloe repeated, trying to kickstart the original topic and lower the testosterone. _Ugh_. Men were the _worst_. Dan cleared his throat, but his face seemed to soften,

"I'm taking you away on vacation."

She grinned,

"You're what?"

"I'm taking you away on vacation," he repeated, beginning to ferret around in his bag before pulling out a slightly crumpled looking piece of paper which turned out to be a booking form he'd printed online. A tropical beach with golden sand blinked straight back at her, complete with a lounger and cool blue looking waves, not to mention an umbrella and a bright orange cocktail. She scanned the details,

"Bali?! Oh my god. Is this is this _real_?"

"One hundred percent it is. I'm taking you for Christmas."

"For Christmas?" her face fell a mile.

Oh no. _Mox_.

"We leave next Friday for two whole weeks of pampering. I uh — hope you don't mind but I put you in coach. It turns out there weren't many last minute options. _I'm_ only in first class because I _had_ to be."

"Mhm."

Honestly Chloe had kind of stopped listening, since her focus was pretty much fully on Mox, who was actually stood by the window _gaping_ at them. He looked crushed. No scratch that, he looked _way_ _worse_ than crushed. He looked like he'd been stomped and then scraped off a shoe heel like a bug on the carpet."

He flicked his cigarette off,

"Uh, I think m' probably gonna like, go to bed now. Got a long night of bein' beaten up tomorrow ya know? Kinda need to get me some 'a that beauty sleep."

"Mox — ,"

"Nah, m' good," he flapped a hand, "You stay here an' like, talk up your fancy vacation an' everythin'."

He threw in a mini salute at Dan, "Doctor," then turned and strolled straight out of the room, as Chloe watched him go with her chest sort of _spasming_, or maybe she was having a small heart attack? Dan meanwhile waved her roommate off sarcastically, just glad he was leaving.

"Sure, see you later Jon," the second Mox was gone he wrapped an arm around her and then pulled her closer towards him on the floor, until she was butted right into the edge of his kneecap, which was super uncomfortable, "Can you imagine those golden sands? And the sun and lying around sipping mai tais?"

He leaned in to kiss her and she suddenly scrambled up, nearly knocking him out in her hastiness,

"Oops, sorry," she winced pushing up against his shoulder and sort of gabbling the words out, "Hold onto that thought, there's just — uh — there's just a little something I need to do first. Make yourself comfy."

"Chloe?"

"Won't be a sec."

Bustling from the room she darted into the kitchen and smacked head first — or make that _chest_ first — into Mox, who was popping the top off an ice cold beer bottle. She bit her lip,

Mox — ,"

"Look, forget about it sweetheart. It's not important, okay?"

She frowned at him,

"Forget about what?"

He shrugged,

"Comin' home an' spendin' the holidays with me. Forget it okay? I like, totally get it."

"But," she paused, "I don't _want_ to forget. I love that you invited me and I wanted to see your hometown _and_ meet your little sister and spend the holidays with you and — ,"

"Sweetheart."

"Huh?"

Mox put out a fingertip and then gently used it to cover her mouth. It smelt like tobacco and weirdly she kind of liked that.

"Go to Fiji, okay?"

"Bali."

"Look, _whatever_, just freakin' go. Because if you don't then I will. Even if Doctor Dan's there an' I have to fly coach while he sits up in front."

She blinked at him,

"So — so you promise you're not mad at me?"

"What, because your boyfriend is takin' you on vacation? Sweetheart, why in the holy fuck would I be mad?"

She frowned,

"But I thought — ,"

"Thought what?" he answered instantly, getting a weird kind of look in his eye and oh dear god, she was _so_ close to saying it and ruining everything.

"Chloe?"

"Be right there," she called at Dan, turning to half look over her shoulder as Mox reached out and tucked a strand of her red hair back, the pads of his fingers brushing over her earlobe before he suddenly stepped back and gave her a wink, as casually as if the touch hadn't really happened, although frankly, Chloe kind of wished it hadn't stopped.

"Go to freakin' Bali and have a great time, ya hear me?" he grinned, pausing briefly to take a sip of his beer and then turning round to saunter off back to his bedroom, "But hey, bring me back one of those curly seashell things. I always _did_ want one of those suckers."

So, that settled it then.

She was going away with Dan.

* * *

**Okay, okay, don't hate me too much. I'll make it all better, I promise. Except, you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out how (because, you know, I'm cruel like that!)**


	9. Mox Gives Good Hugs

**I love this chapter. Mostly because I love Mox trying to be in touch with his feelings. Only a couple of weeks left until the end now, so without further ado let's carry on.**

**Skovko, haha, speaking from experience?! But yes, definitely not in front of her family. I mean, think of poor little Squeaker being scarred for life! **

**Minnie1015, I still want to bring Katie back in a story someday, but for now I just thought I might as well slowly expand my early Mox universe. Nope, still no kiss, but hey, can't make things too easy for you/them can I now?!**

**xXBalorBabeXx, Nope, Mox is too scared to jeopardize her happiness. He's a good friend. Maybe too good!**

**Not-that-kinda-gurl, Yep, Dan is maybe not as perfect as Chloe likes to think. He's not the worst guy in the world, but he's not right for our girl!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Thankee muchly!**

**ThatGirl54, I know, poor Mox. But he doesn't want to get in the way of Chloe's happiness (or what he thinks is her happiness anyway) and she's just so desperate to catch a break for once! What a mess I've made (sorry not sorry!)**

**Mandy, So sorry you weren't doing so well last week. It's so difficult when you hit a bump in the road. But I hope you've been able to pick yourself back up and keep going. I totally believe in you. Also, here's some adorable Mox to cheer you up!**

**Moxley Gal1, Agreed, Dan definitely showed his true colours in that last chapter. He's too selfish for Chloe. Luckily I don't think Mox's interest in her is fading just yet. Or at least, not in this instalment.**

**KDGaines08, I'll take you wanting to scream as a good thing. Means you're invested and that I'm doing my job! Yep, they definitely don't want to ruin their friendship, but something's gotta give.**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Glad you liked it, even though I'm mercilessly dragging this out! Hopefully after this chapter you'll see where I'm going though. Sort of...maybe! It's all for the greater good.**

**XwwecoyoteX, Yeah, dick move Doctor Dan! Luckily you're going to get some answers in this chapter. I'm moving things forward (marginally!)**

**Stand by for cute Mox...**

* * *

**Mox Gives Good Hugs**

…

Driving from Cinci to Philly was a bitch fest. A _twelve_ freaking _hour_ kind of bitch fest to be precise and which, in theory should have taken nine hours. Except there'd been a blizzard on I-76 and roadworks forty-five minutes out of Pittsburgh and a god damn escaped _ostrich_ of all things in Harrisburg. So that by the time he finally pitched up at the townhouse he was practically welded white knuckled to the wheel.

He wanted some beer and his bed. In that order and maybe a cigarette or two. Or fine then, _three_.

Hefting his knapsack up onto his shoulder, he kicked shut the door of his battered old car and then climbed the steps patting wildly at his pockets before pulling out his keys and then turning them. in the lock. To be honest he was kind of bummed out at being back there, because he missed his kid sister and because Chloe was gone.

Christmas had been good, or well, as good as it _could_ have been considering his older sister liked to run a tight ship. Although, of course it had been worth it to see Katie, his favorite kid in the whole universe and his partner in crime wherever he went back there and even when he didn't.

Inside the townhouse the lights were off and so he frowned and then reached out and flipped them back on again,

"Hello?"

Samara appeared like a spirit beside him and nearly gave him a heart attack,

"She's crying."

"Oh holy fuck," he clutched at his chest and then shot her a death glare, which she didn't much notice as he slammed the door shut, "Who's freakin' cryin'? What the fuck are you talkin' about?"

She waved a loose hand towards the staircase,

"Chlo."

"Chlo_ee_," he frowned, trying to correct her pronunciation, "She's not fuckin' here, she's in Bali sittin' on a beach with some fancy ass cocktail an' Doctor Dick beside her, so ya know, thanks a lot for remindin' me of _that_."

The strange crop haired Russian shook her head back insistently,

"No, not on beach. Chlo is upstairs and crying. She been crying for nearly three days now. I no like all dis crying," she stamped her foot crossly, "Make it stop now."

Then clicking her tongue like she was tired of the whole thing, she pushed past into the kitchen leaving him standing on the mat, blinking in total and utter confusion. Chloe was _there_? No, she _couldn't_ be there and why in the holy fuck was she crying? He dumped his bag down at the bottom of the stairs instantly and then took them two at a time to the bedrooms before stopping outside hers and then knocking,

"Sweetheart? Hey, are you in there, or is Rasputin goin' crazy?"

"M – Mox?"

Oh crap. She was in there alright and what was more she sounded _snuffly_ and raspy, like she was sick. Or okay, potentially crying her eyes out.

Fuck.

Not waiting for an invite he twisted the handle and then stepped across the threshold, his heart beating like mad. Like the rest of the townhouse the room was in darkness except for a solitary splash of streetlamp light, which was filtering in through the unshuttered windows and showing up a sorry looking lump on the bed.

Chloe was curled in the foetal position, surrounded by wet tissues which had been scrunched into balls and snivelling miserably into something small and fluffy which turned out to be the bright pink _I wuv you_ funfair bear. As Mox stepped closer, she sat up snivelling and tried to rub off her tear trails,

"Hey," he murmured, "C' mere. The fuck is goin' on, huh?"

He crossed the room towards her and then dropped down carefully onto the bed, putting his arms out and letting her fold into him, her wet cheek pressed up against his faded _Mox_ shirt.

He swept back her hair,

"Why the fuck aren't you in Fiji, or Bali or whatever? Where's Doctor _First Class_?"

"We – we broke up," Chloe coughed, breaking into a fresh flood of tears at the sentence and then nearly choking on them.

"Ssh, easy sweetheart."

Mox's brain was moving at a million miles an hour. Or okay, maybe a thousand miles an hour, since he _had_ been driving for nearly twelve and a half hours, not including the nap he had taken halfway on the side of the road outside of Columbus.

Chloe and Dan had broken up?

Why?

"We broke up at the airport," she choked in response to him, clearly somehow reading his mind. Unless he'd gone and said it out loud without knowing, which he figured was possible.

_Twelve hours in a car_.

He frowned at her,

"The airport? Hold on a sec here. He fuckin' ditched you when you were _leavin_'? Asshole," he grit his teeth, "Fuck. I knew it. I _knew_ he was a scumbag."

Chloe shook her head,

"No, you don't understand. It wasn't him that broke up with me. Don't you get it? I was the one who broke up with _him_."

"Huh?"

Okay, so he hadnt been expecting _that_ bombshell, _or_ the way his stupid heart seemed to hitch in response. Like somehow that cleared the freaking path for him or something, which it didnt because she was his _best_ fucking _friend_ who had just broken up with a fucking hero _doctor_, so no way would she want a fucked up wrestler like him. He frowned and then gently palmed her hair back on instinct, rubbing his fingers through her tresses,

"Okay, so m' gonna kinda need the whole story here. The fuck is goin' on with you sweetheart?"

Chloe swiped her face then pulled away from his shirt front, before sniffing and looking up sorrowfully.

Fuck.

Was it wrong that her wobbly bottom lip made him horny and that her teared up eyes made him want to kiss her and –

Yes it was.

She sighed and then waved her hands around for good measure. She always had been expressive. He liked that.

She shrugged,

"I don't know. One minute I was all excited about going and putting everything that's happened behind me, you know? But then the next," she paused and shook her head, "I couldn't do it. I didn't _want_ to do it. It just – it didn't feel _right_. Which I basically blurted out right in the airport and oh god Mox, his _face_."

She covered her own with her hands then groaned loudly with a note of self hatred. Mox pulled them down again carefully,

"Hey, come on he's a big boy, m' sure he'll get over it."

Not that he could have cared less about Dan, who had never been right for his Chloe in the first place. He'd been too serious and perfect and well, freaking _bland_.

Chloe shook her head,

"But I mean like, who _does_ that?" she spread her hands helplessly, "Who dumps someone in the _departures_ _lounge_? Because then he started to talk about _you_ and everything and I just couldn't deal with it."

Mox froze instantly,

"He what?"

Chloe squirmed a little.

Oh fuck.

"He said – um – he said that you were like, _into_ me, so I should probably just go home and date you instead. Crazy, right?"

She snorted a brief and fairly snotty sounding laugh out then glanced up beneath her lashes. She had finally stopped crying, but her eyes were still all red and teary. He brushed his thumb past one to help dry it off and then tried not to feel like the biggest dick ever. Because _fuck_, the whole fuckin' thing was his fault. Doctor Dan had freaking _known_, or had noticed his wistful glances and figured out that he was in love with his best friend. Because sure, Chloe may have killed the relationship, but Mox was the one who had driven the wedge there and all because he was a god damn fucking idiot.

A god damn fucking _horny_ idiot.

He snorted,

"Uh, right. I mean, come on sweetheart. We're freakin' _best friends_ here. Nothin' more an' nothin' less, huh? Doc Dickwad was _way_ off."

"Oh," he felt Chloe slump, which briefly confused, then nodded her head sort of despondently, "Best friends, uh huh."

Her lip went again about a half a second later and then suddenly she was straight back to the whole sobbing thing, but in great big body-wracking, Bantam hen _cluck_ sounds, which Mox was pretty sure hurt him worse than a punch to the gut, or a chair to the skull, or a god damn staple to the forehead.

He pulled her in closer,

"Sweetheart easy, hey come on. Ya gotta stop cryin', it's eatin' me up here. I can't fuckin' take it," she sobbed a bit more and so Mox decided to keep on rambling since he was fresh out of ideas how to help, "Look, I know it sucks, but Doc Dick wasn't right for you. Which okay, I kinda wanted to tell ya for months. An' I get that he was pissed at you for the break up or whatever, but he had no business bein' mean to you like that, so if you want me an' Callihan to track him down some time, an' like, break his freakin' legs then – ,"

Chloe shook her head,

"I'm not cr-crying because of that."

"Then why _are_ you cryin'?"

He was genuinely lost. Or missing some great big chunk of fucking context. She sniffed against him pathetically,

"He – he was going to be my date."

Sitting back up and flipping her hair back, she sighed and then started to paw her eyes, like a child who had been up since the early hours of the morning and was long overdue an afternoon nap.

He frowned at her,

"Hold up. Your date _where_? Ya kinda lost me."

Leaning away she began to root round in the nightstand, before pulling out something that looked like a flyer. Or no, something that looked like a freaking _invitation_. She waved it clumsily at him,

"To – to this and _god_ I've been telling everybody for _weeks_ now that I'm bringing home a doctor and _ugh_," she let out a growl. Not a Mox growl. Not like a street dog fighting over a hotdog, or something rabid and feral. In fact she sounded more like a pup, which made Mox smile as he skim read the invite, which was gold and embossed,

"Okay so what the fuck is this? _You are cordially invited to attend the weddin' of Craig and Abbie._ Who the fuck are Craig and Abbie?"

"My friends from back home," she wiped her cuff across her nose and Mox responded by ruffling her hair up, as if that would help. She didn't notice, "It just sucks. I mean, I've turned up to the last two weddings on my own now and _this_ time I just thought – but forget it, I mean, it's a stupid reason to be crying, huh?"

Mox shrugged,

"Well I dunno if I'm the best person to ask, because I mean, _I_ cried when Hogan left wrestling. But then again I _was_ like, what, only eight or nine? But hey, come on, it's not like m' judgin'. Well, I mean, not a _lot_."

She snorted at him,

"Thanks."

"And besides, if you're cryin' about goin' it alone here, then don't. I'll come with you."

She blinked at him,

"What?"

To be honest he was asking himself the same question. Or okay, more like screaming it repeatedly. Was he _insane_? He hated weddings and social occasions and talking and being with loads of people he didn't know. Besides which, he was hardly the best stand in boyfriend. He was no Dermot Mulroney. God, he hated that film _and_ the fact that he had watched it with Chloe that one time, or maybe two times _and_ the fact that he'd laughed. He cleared his throat then scratched his neck, feeling awkward

"I mean, if you'd like, _want_ to go with me that is. Because, I mean I know m' not like, a freakin' _doctor_, but I figure no one knows me so I could probably pretend. Might even be kinda _fun_ connin' people, an' kinda bein' someone else for an evenin', ya know?"

She gaped for a second in an unreadable expression which nearly made him clumsily try and take it all back, or make out he'd been totally kidding.

Except suddenly she grinned,

"Oh god Mox, you're the _best_. Would you really? Would you really come with me?" launching forward she threw her arms around him in a snotty sounding hug, sending balled up tissues and _I wuv you_ bear flying and surrounding him with hair and a brand new fruit scent.

Fuck.

Was that – was that _strawberry_? Or no wait, was it cherry?

"Because I mean, if you're just saying that to make me feel better then – ,"

Reaching up he put his hand over her mouth, winding it right around her face and then gagging her as his heart beat like crazy.

He couldn't do it. No way. Jon Moxley was _not_ designed for fancy weddings, or canapés or speeches or mothers of the bride. He categorically, one hundred percent couldn't do it. He had to be mad.

"You betcha sweetheart. I'm there."

* * *

**Okay, don't hate me. So close and yet so far. But the good news is that we're nearly at the end now, only a couple more weeks to go, so if you can stay on the will-they-won't-they train a bit longer, then I promise you will get your much deserved reward. I mean, unless I'm **_**really**_** cruel and don't get them together. Hmm, would I? **

**See you next week folks :-)**


	10. Chloe and Mox at the Wedding

**Only a couple of chapters left now folks, so we're very nearly there and for anyone that hasn't (and wants to) be sure to check out my new Dean story 'Over My Dead Body' which went up last week. Okay, back to Chloe and Mox.**

**xXBalorBabeXx, Everybody needs a good self pity cry sometimes and Chloe was definitely overdue hers!**

**Rebel8954, I kind of imagine that the only way Mox would ever feel comfortable at a wedding is if he's secretly stringing people along. He has to have his fun somehow!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Dean and Lauren will be back after I've posted my new PI story. So they'll be coming at some point!**

**Minnie1015, More feels in this chapter and Chloe is getting so close to saying how she feels. But is she close enough or do I string it out a little longer? Hmmm. Decisions, decisions… (Also, PM coming your way tonight as well!)**

**ThatGirl54, Yep, Chloe was definitely disappointed with the friends line. Although frankly at this point these two just need hitting with a sledgehammer to wake them both up. I'll go call Triple H…**

**HannonsPen, Mox is a real treat to write! I love me some Dean, but occasionally I have an itching for early, devil may care Mox as well!**

**Mandy, Awww, happy belated birthday. I hope you had the best time and took some time to celebrate being you! I know I'm a few days late, but please accept this chapter (and more specifically, Mox in tux) as your birthday present. Many Happy Returns!**

**KDGaines08, Yep, the wedding is going to make Chloe at least definitely rethink a few things...and maybe Mox too. Although you may have to wait and find out what he thinks.**

**Skovko, Right? I mean who wouldn't want to go to a wedding with Mox as their date? Btw, I really liked writing this chapter!**

**ClassicPurpleRoses, Aww, thank you so much. I love a slow burn too (as evidenced by the first story in my Lauren and Dean story of you've read that? Because that was even slower!) The will-they-won't-they is always half the fun!**

**XwwecoyoteX, Oh yeah, Mox is totally going to have fun being a doctor in this chapter. He's the gift that keeps on giving! Glad you're still hooked. Nearly at the end...but not quite yet!**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Yep, what better place to start thinking about the relationships in your life than at a wedding right? Plus, Mox has fun, which is always good!**

**Here we go again...**

* * *

**Chloe And Mox At The Wedding**

…

The main wedding ceremony had passed by without a hiccup, because all they'd had to do was stand up and sit down. Well, except for the part where they'd had to bust a hymn out. Nothing too complex – it had been _Abide with Me_ – although Mox had still stared at the hymn sheet in horror,

"The fuck is the tune here?"

"Just follow my lead?"

He had tried, but it hadn't been a winning performance and although Chloe kind of – okay, _really_ – loved his voice, it was probably best suited to something heavy metal, or rock based, than the notes of a deep religious piece, being sung beneath the rafters of a one hundred year old roof. In fact people in the pews in front had turned to look at them as he had fudged his way through verse after verse.

Mox hadn't noticed, but she had glared back at them. Besides which, it made her giggle. She'd put her thumb up,

"You're doing great."

Plus he had gone out and actually rented a _suit _for her. A full freaking_ suit_, which looked ridiculously good and had done since the moment he had modelled it for her in the hallway of the townhouse,

"So, what d'ya think? Shades, or no shades?"

He had shown her each option, both of which had worked with the charcoal black weave, but only one of which had made him look _Reservoir Dogs_ good.

Chloe had laughed and then nodded at him,

"Shades."

Which was why, by the time they had made it into the reception and found the number for their table and their allocated seats, he had slipped them firmly back into position like a close protection officer or a Hollywood hunk. Or, you know, possibly a crazy roommate, which was definitely, _definitely_ the option she preferred.

In total there had been six other people at their table, including the bride's aunt and two of Chloe's school friends. Or okay, not _friends_, maybe more sort of _frenemies_ since they had both been part of the popular gang, whereas Chloe had been a Mathlete and had helped out with the craft fairs and the PTA meetings and the foreign exchange program.

As she had sat down they had shot her some side eye – because apparently_ they_ were still fifteen years old – but Mox had spotted it and then put an arm around her. Casually. Protectively.

"You 'kay sweetheart?" he had crooned, loud enough so that both of them could hear him, "How's this doctor's favorite patient?"

"You're a doctor?" Meghan had chirped, suddenly sitting up a little straighter in interest. Mox had smirked back beneath his two tones at her,

"Sure. I mean mostly I only treat like, _really_ sick children. But I know a dude who does Botox if you need to top up?"

Meghan's face had fallen,

"Excuse me?"

"For the crow's feet," Mox had continued, pointing lazily at her face, "Couple of 'em right there."

"Huh?" Meghan had turned to Beth, who had nodded back in confirmation of the fact, which had made Meghan squeal and then grab her clutch purse before scuttling to the bathroom with Beth trailing behind her,

"Like, I mean they're not _that_ bad."

Chloe had gaped in amazement,

"Jon Moxley – ,"

"I know," he'd grinned back at her, waving a loose hand, "I'm an evil freakin' genius. No need to thank me. Now let's say we get drunk here."

He had held up his glass and Chloe had picked hers up and then clinked them.

Doctor Dan who?

"Now I can certainly drink to that."

As the wedding wore on through the dinner and speeches, Mox seemed to get more and more into his stride. Creating a backstory for his new doctor character and then embellishing it further whenever he spoke, which meant that by the time the tables had been packed up and the dance floor had officially been opened for the night, Doctor Moxley had majored in paediatrics – with an optional year in surgery too – spent a year building hospitals out in Rwanda and at some point had evidently learnt how to fly, so he could get to the scene of a medical trauma more quickly and ply his skills to those patients in need.

Dear lord.

It seemed impossible that anyone would buy it. But buy it they did. He was the talk of the place. Everyone loved her big rough talking doctor, who saved countless children and called women _sweetheart_. Which was probably why when the dance music kicked in he was already taken by a ninety-three year old, who had insisted on doing a modified waltz with him as Chloe sat back on the side-lines and watched.

He threw her a wink then held up his fingers in a silent _two minutes_. She nodded and held her beer up. She could wait. She was fine. No, in fact she was _better_. You know, all things considered.

"Chloe?"

Huh? She looked up. The bride herself was coming towards her, having finally made her way around most of the guests and towing an enormous white lace train behind her that people were stepping on.

"Abbie," Chloe squeaking, giving her long time friend a quick _hello_ squeeze and then letting herself be held out at arms' length, for the usual, _let me get a look at_ _you_ inspection that came with not having seen a girlfriend in months.

"Chlo, you look great."

"_I_ look great?" she spluttered, "Look at _you_ in that dress. You look like a princess."

"Yeah, I know," Abbie grinned in response to her, swishing her oversized ball gown from side to side and then looking up as Mox danced by with her grandma, doing a step that was definitely _not_ a waltz, or anything much performed at a wedding.

"So this is Doctor Dan, huh?"

Chloe faltered,

"Oh, um – ,"

"Because I've got to say Chlo, he's simply fantastic. I mean, of _course_ he is, he's a doctor for god sakes and everybody knows doctors make the best boyfriends."

Chloe blinked. Except for when they stood her up at state fairs and suggested not reporting her lecherous employer for fear of upsetting the 'proverbial apple cart'. _Or_ when they booked up a trip out to Bali, but made their girlfriends fly there in coach, while they flew in first class with champagne as standard _and_ especially when they looked down at her favorite roommate. Her funny, kind, supportive roommate.

She curled up her fists,

"Um, actually that's Mox. My best friend. He's – he's not really a doctor. In fact he's a wrestler. A really good one too, but he's pretending to be a doctor because he thinks it's what _I_ want."

Abbie shrugged at her,

"Do you?"

"Good question," Chloe frowned, draining the rest of her beer and then taking a long, deep breath of _something_. Resolution? Determination? Impending doom? "I don't know. But one thing I _do _want right now is some dancing," she kissed Abbie's cheek, "Oh, great wedding by the way."

"Maybe I'll be dancing at _your_ wedding next girl," Abbie winked at her, nodding back towards Mox. Chloe blushed in response – ugh, too soon – then began to edge her way in past all of the couples, towards the elderly woman who was dancing with her man. Oops, best friend. He'd made that clear when she'd been crying and he had called the thought of them being _together_ crazy. Ouch. But that didn't mean she wasn't allowed to boogie with him and so to that end she pulled up to his side and cleared her throat, watching as Mox's brows rose up to greet her and then waving a little, feeling awkward,

"Um, hi. Mind if I cut in?"

Abbie's grandmother chuckled and then glanced between the two of them,

"Oh my no. I've had enough for one night. He's all yours dear," she winked, "Thank you doctor."

"His name's Mox," Chloe blurted out, "And he's not a doctor, he's actually a wrestler."

They both blinked back at her, Mox with a _what the fuck_ and Abbie's gran with a sympathetic chuckle that seemed to translate as, _oh, okay she must be drunk_. Turning around she patted Mox fondly, then prodded him towards Chloe before shuffling off, her mile long string of freshwater pearls clacking as she tittered to herself about _the kids of today_.

Mox took her hand and Chloe shivered a little – in a good way – which then doubled as his arm snaked in around her back and pulled her closer to the rented tuxedo. He had the shades in his breast pocket like _Top Gun_.

"The fuck d'ya say that for?" he was muttering into her hair in confusion, as they started to sway like kids at the prom the second a slow song came over the system, which at _her_ school had always been the Whitney H classic and nineties staple tune of _I will always love you_, which seemed kind of fitting. Mox meanwhile carried on, "You're kinda killin' my vibe sweetheart. I had her right where I wanted her with all this _fake doctor_ shit. I mean she basically made me her on-call physician. She has irritable bowel syndrome. I coulda made a lotta dough."

Chloe skipped his teasing in a second.

Wait, he _was_ teasing. Right?

"But you're _Mox_," she stressed like it hadn't occurred to him, "You shouldn't have to try and be somebody else."

He frowned at her,

"Uh, but like, wasn't that the point here?"

"Not anymore," she poked him, "You're Mox. The best darn wrestler outside of Stamford and I don't care who knows it. You should be you."

For a second he simply stared back at her unreadably. At some point they'd stopped dancing, but she had no idea when. He frowned a little like he didn't believe her, then his whole face softened and he looked kind of sad, or wistful or something she wasn't too sure of. Well, at least until _Word Up_ by Cameo kicked in.

His face lit up,

"Hey. Now this shit is more like it. C' mere sweetheart, m' gonna freakin' teach ya some moves."

"Mox," Chloe protested as her pulled her in closer and then found them a spot in the middle of the floor. There she was having basically just told him she liked him – just like he was, full Bridget Jones style – and there _he_ was wanting to throw a few shapes with her. People stepped back to create a ring around them, sensing that something was about to go down, which doubled as her roommate made a _watch me_ with his fingers and then started to move his hands,

"I call this one pass the dish."

Chloe blinked. Was he busting out dance moves? As in actual _eighties_ dance moves? Um, yes. Yes he was and loving every last second of embarrassing her. Because god he was an ass. A totally lovable ass.

"Mox – ,"

"C' mon sweetheart. It's fun. Look, how about the lawnmower?" he asked, beginning to pull on an imaginary cord, before sticking out his arms and bobbing his head to the music, with his lip bitten in in concentration, which made her laugh,

"Oh my god."

"Hey, don't make me come over there."

"_Fine_," she grinned, beginning to copy on a smaller scale and wishing she had knocked back a little more beer first. Dan would never have _ever_ danced like that. But then again, Dan wasn't _half_ as much fun as Mox was.

She started to get more into it,

"Fuck yeah. There ya go, now freakin' put 'em all together."

Other people were beginning to join in too. Not that Chloe really cared or much noticed. All she could see in front of her was Mox, grinning and poking his cute little tongue out as she laughed like an idiot, which was what she was still doing when the music faded away into _I will always love you_. Because oh crap. It really _was_ like being back at high school. Mox stepped towards her and her heart did a somersault, then leapt up and lodged somewhere halfway up her throat as she stepped in towards him and then lifted her hand up to slip it – with her heart thumping like mad – into his.

His touch felt electric and warm and perfect and –

"Ladies and gentlemen," she physically jolted as the DJ cut in and turned the music down, which meant that her shout of dismay bite out over him and then echoed super loudly across the packed out dancefloor,

"_No_."

"If you would please like to make your way back over to the table in the corner of the room where the buffet is laid out, the bride and groom are about to cut the wedding cake, so be sure to bring your cameras."

The music stopped dead and in the stampede of people Mox tugged her hand gently and then snorted.

He had no idea how she felt.

"Come on," he grunted back at her, "Perfect timing."

"You want cake?" she frowned,

"Nope. But I could use a cigarette."

* * *

**Okay, I promise, only a couple (less than a couple. Wait, what constitutes a couple?) of chapters left now. We're nearly there, scout's honour!**


	11. Mox Comes Clean

**So, are we all ready for this one? I hope we are!**

**xXBalorBabeXx, They definitely had fun dancing. I borrowed that scene from what me and my date did at my prom. We had so much fun!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Thank you!**

**KDGaines08, I think Mox would be an awesome person to go to a wedding with! I think he doesn't dare hope that Chloe has feelings for him because he thinks she's too good for him. Maybe this chapter will give him some answers?**

**ThatGirl54, Yay! Glad you liked it. Prepare yourself for this chapter, it might be a good one (or at least, I hope it is!)**

**Minnie1015, Well where's the fun of giving you exactly what you want when you want it? But I mean, you know I always get there in the end (when I'm good and ready and have dragged things out for as long as I dare!)**

**Mandy, Oh I'm so sorry your birthday wasn't as planned. But I always say that you can make your own family (kind of tends to be a theme in my stories!) and I'm glad to hear your coworkers pulled out all the stops for you. They sound absolutely lovely!**

**Skovko, Very true and now she's beginning to realize why she didn't want someone else. Although, she's still got to tell him that part though…**

**ClassicPurpleRoses, Aww, not a problem. If someone is kind enough to leave a review, then I always respond back to them. So thank you for reviewing in the first place (and reading the story obviously!)**

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, I feel like Mox would be a very good confidence trickster in another life, because he's so shameless, he can say anything and get away with it! And please don't go crazy from the build up...not yet anyway!**

**Not-that-kinda-gurl, Aww, don't worry about it and anyway, the good news is now that you're all caught up on the crazy, you can sit back and enjoy (I hope) this chapter and everything that's going to happen...**

**XwwecoyoteX, Haha, I think the swinging emotions are probably an indication of my own swinging emotions! But I did love writing about Doctor Mox, bullshitting his way through but somehow having such bluster that everyone just believed him!**

**HannonsPen, Yep, Chloe definitely isn't ashamed to let Mox be Mox...which is obviously why they're perfect for each other. But who's going to break first?**

**Okay folks, prepare yourselves...**

* * *

**Mox Comes Clean**

…

Because Chloe's parents were still off in Maui as part of the Christmas That Should Never Have Been, she and Mox had the house to their lonesome, which honestly to his mind was totally cool, since it took off the pressure to have to be perfect and not, well, _himself_.

Not that he couldn't turn it on. Like he had done back at the wedding where he had _totally_ pulled it out of the bag and made sure he'd done the one thing he'd set out to –

Making sure Chloe had a freaking good time.

Ever since their turn on the floor she'd been quiet though. Like, _super_ quiet which was unheard of for her and then there was all of the _stuff_ shed been saying –

"_You're Mox_," and most importantly, "_You should be you_."

Thank fuck the music had switched up at that point, otherwise he would probably have kissed her right there and ruined the best freaking friendship he'd had ever, in the middle of the dancefloor in front of the bride's gran. No wonder he'd had to bail out for a cigarette. But yep, Chloe had definitely been quiet ever since, which extended right through to them getting back to her parents' and letting themselves in.

He bit the bullet,

"You okay? It's just ya been kinda quiet for the last couple hours, an' – ," he scratched his neck, "Uh. Is it somethin _I _did? Like just tell me if I took it too far back there or somethin', or – ,"

"Hey," she took his hand and then smiled, "You were great. Honestly Mox I couldn't have done this without you. Well, I mean I _could_, but it wouldn't have been as fun."

"So, you're like, okay?"

"Uh huh," she nodded back at him, "Just tired. I – I think I'm going to go up to bed. It's been a long day, you know? But thank you," leaning in from the bottom step of the staircase, she kissed him gently on the cheek and his stupid dick twitched.

"Uh, sure," he blurted out before suddenly stepping back away from her and ruffling her hair up. Because what was she? _Nine_? "I guess – uh – I guess I'll see you in the mornin'."

"Goodnight Mox."

"Uh, night."

He watched her head up to her room, practically able to see up her dress hem before turning away feeling like a total perv. Leaving the hall he headed into the kitchen – it was a big room with an island, a real family kind of place – and then once he was sure that he was fully out of earshot he slapped himself hard.

"For god sakes pull it together man. She's your best friend your _best freakin' friend_ an' you love her. _Fuck_. I mean _care_ about her. Stop bein' a fuckin' ass."

Grabbing a glass from the shelf he drank some water, then debated maybe throwing the rest in his face before remembering he was stood in Mr and Mrs Harris' kitchen and so drenching the place was probably out. He briefly thought back to Chloe laughing at him on the dance floor, biting her lip as she copied his moves and then throwing in a few of her own for good measure.

Christ.

What the fuck was he meant to do now? Tell her how he felt or freaking sit on it forever in case he messed up their friendship?

Fuck.

He took another sip, then decided that nope –

No good. He had to tell her

He _had_ to.

Slapping himself a second time for good measure, he turned and blundered up a clumsy path up the stairs, feeling clammy as he ran through potential opening gambits, before cursing and then quickly discounting them again.

_Here's the thing you see sweetheart. I kinda love you._

Too much.

_Ever thought about us maybe doin' it?_

Too blunt.

Honestly he was a mess. A sweating mess of incoherence with no freaking clue what he was going to say and which is probably why instead of knocking on her doorframe, he stood in the hall with his fist half raised up. Panicking like a virgin in a god damn freaking brothel.

"Come on Mox, you can do this."

He lifted his knuckles up. Then Chloe screamed suddenly like she was starring in a horror film which turned his stomach over. He burst into the room, not even waiting to see if she was decent in his haste to protect her.

"What the fuck's goin' on?"

His best friend was stood on the bed in a nightgown. A freaking _nightgown_ of all things in fucking December for Christ's sake. A short little nightgown which hitched up her thigh skin and –

"A spider," she squeaked gesturing wildly at the bathroom, "In there. Oh god, I can't. Get it out."

He blinked,

"A spider? _Fuck_. I nearly had a heart attack."

"Please Mox, _please_."

"Alright, alright," he huffed, "Let's see."

Honestly he wasn't a big fan of them anyway, like he was going to admit that to her, since he was _meant_ to be playing the part of the hero.

He stepped into the bathroom and then frowned a little,

"Where?"

"In the sink," Chloe squealed, continuing to perch on the bed like a parrot and then nearly falling off it she was so damn scared, "It's huge."

Tentatively he peered in towards the plughole and –

"Oh come on. That?"

A freaking _money spider_ was staring back. Or okay, so perhaps not a _full_ money spider, but definitely not more than the next body size up. He scooped it up in his hand,

"Have you got it?"

"Yeah, I've got it," he crossed back into the room, juggling the tiny arachnid in one hand while the other fumbled hopelessly with the window, "Little help?"

Chloe swallowed like she was stood on a precipice, or trapped in a cage with a man eating bear, but then nervously stepped down onto the carpet and scuttled his way before flinging the window wide. Or make that _very _wide. Too wide really, since the thin drapes billowed out on her and brushed across her leg, which he guessed must have felt like another damn spider, or possibly a tarantula.

Chloe let out a scream,

"_Eep_ — ," then launched herself sort of _bodily_ at him, right as he was putting the _first_ spider out, which obediently fell away into the darkness as his red headed roommate wrapped herself around his back,

"Sweetheart, what the _whoa_ — ,"

He caught his foot in the bed sheets then windmilled a bit like in a comedy film, before toppling forward onto the mattress with Chloe driving down on top of him

"_Oof_."

"Oh god. Mox?" scrambling back off him she tried to help him roll over so that the first thing he saw was her worried looking face. She was biting her lip. Fuck. He loved it when she did that. Plus her green eyes were wide and — yep — fighting back a grin, "Are you okay?"

He lifted a brow and at once she started laughing. Her whole face lighting up as she threw back her head and that was it — Mox couldn't fucking help it — he slid his hand across her cheek and pulled her in for a kiss which, holy was totally worth it. Like one of those freaking _romantic movie _type of ones, with fireworks and sparks and all of that good shit. She gasped into his mouth and he stiffened.

_Uh oh._

He was about to pull back and fucking beg for forgiveness, but then suddenly her hands were all over his face and her knees were over him, straddling him, getting closer, her crotch bumped his groin and he hissed a little,

"Fuck."

Yep, that did it. She quickly broke away from him then shuffled off and sat back in kind of a daze. She looked almost shell-shocked, like a shipwreck survivor and —

Oh fuck he was idiot.

He brushed his hand through his hair, shuffling until his dick-bulge was more hidden and then coughing,

"Fuck sweetheart. M' sorry okay? I should never have — fuck. I — I didn't mean to do that. I just got all hot an' — m' a jackass, okay?"

She sat for a second sort of blinking straight past him. He scratched his hair harder,

"Could you like, uh, say somethin' maybe? Even if it's like, get outta here you asshole, I hate you an' I never wanna see you again? I mean, not that I _want_ you to say that or anythin' but — ,"

"Why did you kiss me?"

He frowned at her,

"Huh?"

"Just then," she repeated, her voice a breathy whisper, which didn't really help things, "Why did you kiss me just then?"

She looked up and Mox sucked a breath in. She was gorgeous,

"Uh, well not to sound too like, _trashy_ here or anythin', but I — uh — kinda wanted to do that for a while. Like, probably back before you fell in the shower. Which kinda makes me sounds like a real scumbag, lustin' over you. But I mean, it wasn't like that."

She blinked a few times,

"Since — since before I fell over?"

Mox heaved a sigh out and then shrugged,

"Yeah I guess."

He winced as she sucked a long steadying breath in and then — well, _laughed_. No really, she straight up fucking laughed and okay so it possibly mildly hysterical, but at least it wasn't her screaming and throwing things, which he had figured was the very worst thing that could happen. So laughing was good. That was very, very good.

Right?

Dropping her head into her hands she snorted and then looked up grinning. Well, grinning and blushing.

"This is so weird. Because I've _kind_ of being wanting to kiss you too recently. Like, since back before I fell over."

He blinked at her,

"You have? Me? Are you — are you like, freakin' sure here?"

She nodded,

"Uh huh. I — I mean, I like you Mox. Well, okay, so fine, I always _liked_ you. But I mean I _really_ like you. Because you're funny and cute and you're _always_ there for me whenever I need you and — ,"

He kissed her again, his heart beating in triple time like a trance track but this time from excitement instead of nerves. She kissed him back, keening up into his mouth to get closer and then breathing out sensually over his face. The fact they were in her teenage bedroom sure helped things, although thank god her poor freaking parents weren't at home. Sitting up straighter he bumped her head backwards and then pushed his chest against her so that she toppled over flat. The second she was down he was in over the top of her, breaking the kiss so he could nip along her neck.

Fuck. It felt incredible to be able to touch her, to put his lips on her and feel her squirm beneath his hands.

Because _ho_ yeah, his hands were _definitely_ moving and so were hers too, fumbling the buttons of his shirt, or occasionally carding through his hair and then tugging, which he liked.

_Fuck_ he liked it.

"You sure about this?" he growled, nudging her head to one side with his nose tip so he could bury himself deeper down into her neck and get caught up in her hair. She was back to pink grapefruit. It was definitely his favorite.

Chloe panted against him,

"Uh huh," she kicked off her high heeled strappy black sandals and sent them clattering to the floor, "I need this. I need _you_ Mox."

He pulled down the strap of her dress and kissed her shoulder, sucking it slightly so that she shuddered beneath his chest. The bulge in his pants rose up to full attention and she palmed it, almost uncertainly at first, before grinning and then sliding her fingers down over it, massaging him through the tux,

He cursed,

"Oh holy fuck. Jesus, at least lemme get outta those threads here. I paid good money to rent these,"

"Don't keep me waiting," Chloe smirked, batting her lashes and —

"Ha," he grinned, "I knew it. I _knew_ you would be a little freakin' tease in bed. With those big green eyes, an' that butter wouldn't melt shit, an' that girl next door crap an' — ,"

She shimmied out of her dress, peeling the straps down and then somehow disrobing in spite of the fact that she was flat on the bed, although she still had a black strapless bra and lace panties, which made it all _so_ much better. Mox stripped off his shirt, then clumsily ripped his swanky pants belt loose. Usually he was a prize winner at shucking his pants, but for some reason this time he couldn't get down his zipper, or _then_ get his pants over his knees

"Oh come _on_. The fuck is wrong with this material? Is this velcro? Like, why the fuck won't these fuckin' things fuckin' come off?"

"Here."

Sitting up Chloe moved them down over his ass cheeks, rubbing her breasts seductively against his chest. Kicking his rental pants the rest of the way of the distance, Mox kissed her and then together they fell back again. Pecking her nose he moved his leg in a little, so that it was in between hers with her crotch pressed to his groin. She looked up beaming, her green eyes on fire,

"You ready sweetheart?" he murmured,

"Born ready," she winked back.

* * *

**So, there you have it. I hope it was worth the wait! Just one more (mini) chapter left now to kind of wrap things up. So I'll see you next week for that just to finish things off.**


	12. Everything Changes But Stays The Same

**Right, here we are then folks, the last chapter (or half chapter, because it's super short, but I needed to tie up those loose ends!) Thank you soooo much to everyone who has read and especially to those who have reviewed. It means an awful lot!**

**xXBalorBabeXx, They did! I couldn't not have them kiss in the end! Thanks for all your reviews babe, see you on Thursdays for my PI story!**

**Wolfgirl2013, Aww, thank you so much and thank you for always being such a great reviewer!**

**Not-that-kinda-gurl, Yay! I'm so glad you liked it, after all of the dragging out I've done I owed you at least some schmoop! Thank you so much for your reviews *hugs***

**Phoenix lord of rebirth, Glad it flew by (apart from all the slow burning they were doing!) and thank you so very, very much for always being there with a review! After my PI story I've got a (shorter) Dean and Lauren, then I'm toying with some more cop one shots, another Little Brother or a PI sequel. We'll see where the muse goes! See you there?!**

**Minnie1015, Had to give you the good stuff in the end! Would I be so cruel as to not?! Besides, I wanted them to get together as much as anyone (well, almost!) Glad it delivered! As ever, thank you for your reviews mate (missed them when you were gone!) You're a total star!**

**XwwecoyoteX, Aww, I know, I'll miss them too, but all good things must come to an end! All hail the teeny tiny spider that brought them together! Thank you soooo much for all of your reviews!**

**Mandy, Hope your trip to Denver went well?! I'm not good with spiders too, but I like to think I could have dealt with the tiny one in Chloe's bathroom (maybe?!) although I'd rather have a Mox to help me out too! Thank you so much for always reviewing and making me feel like my hard work is worth it! **

**ThatGirl54, Love me some nervous fumbling Mox/Dean. He's such a cute little murder cherub sometimes! Thank you so much for reviewing. Writing can be a real slog, but having such lovely reviewers cheering me on is such a great payoff!**

**KDGaines08, Mox and Chloe got there in the end! Plus in this chapter there's a little hint of their future plans together. Hope you like! Huge thanks for always reviewing, I'm so, so, massively grateful!**

**Skovko, Damn straight they are! There was an article the other day about the scientific reason for spiders being so scary but I was too frightened to read it! Thanks for your reviews pal, as always, you are fabulous! **

**HannonsPen, Well I'll take that as a compliment that they overtook Dean and Lauren. Wow! (Those two will always be my personal fave though!) Glad I gave you the payoff you were looking for. As always, it was brilliant having you along for the ride!**

**Here we go for the last time then...**

* * *

**Everything Changes But Stays The Same**

…

He'd finished loading the car up over an hour ago. Not that there had been a whole lot to try and load, since Mox had always travelled around pretty lightly and besides, he could buy new stuff when he got to Tampa. If he ever got around to leaving that was.

Samara was sat on the porch steps waiting, her feet up on the wall. She was smoking a cigarette and looking as if she didn't much want to be there as she checked her nails wearily,

"How much longer this take?"

"How much longer _what_ take?" Mox snorted back roughly. He wasn't going to miss _her_ and that was for sure.

Samara rolled her eyes and waved an airy hand round,

"This _leaving_. Why you not going already? It take too long."

"I haven't freakin' left because Chloe's not here yet, an' if you think I'm leavin' without sayin' goodbye to her then you're crazy okay."

Samara shrugged,

"Sweets yourself."

Not that she was bothered about him leaving remotely, since she'd already gone ahead and rented his room out, meaning he'd been forced to bunk in with Chloe for his final week in Philadelphia. Which, okay, hadn't been all that bad and at least their new roommate was a mousey brown woman, meaning that he didn't have to sit in Florida worry about some lecherous man making moves on his girl, which had been his main concern about signing the contract and moving states to start training with the WWE.

"Why you go again?" Samara frowned at him, as if it hadn't been explained to her a million and one times. Which Mox knew for a matter of fact that it had been.

He rolled his eyes,

"Because. I'm signed up to big leagues now, m' gonna be a wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment."

"Never heard of it in life," she shrugged back, using a long and over manicured finger to burst his proverbial bubble with a Russian sounding _pop_. Sometimes he wondered how Chloe could work for her, but bizarrely it had turned out to be a near perfect fit, since it was funny how life worked out with shit sometimes. Like how a grumpy Russian roommate could be a pretty good boss, or how a person could wind up being scouted for developmental right at the point they were considering giving up and relegating themselves to a life on the indies and filling in with bar work and menial jobs.

Mox snorted,

"Yeah well, you might wanna look out for me, because 'm gonna be champion."

"Olympic?" she drawled back,

He frowned,

"What? No. In the WW – okay, you know what. Forget it and _fuck_, where the fuck is she?" he glanced down at his watch. If he was going to make it Tampa by morning then he needed to have left a freaking hour ago. Not that he could leave without saying goodbye to her. What was he, an asshole?

"Oh," Samara huffed, "Here she come."

"Huh?"

Mox looked up with a blink of excitement and yep, sure enough, there his former roommate was, pounding along the sidewalk, long red hair flying out behind her as she dodged a dog walker and a woman with a stroller, before puffing up to them breathlessly,

"Sorry, sorry, I'm here. There was a fire on third and the truck just showed up so everything was gridlocked. I had to get out and walk. Here, I got you these though," she handed Mox a bag of groceries, which had an energy drink, sandwich and a bag of chips, "For the road," she shrugged, before biting her lip, "I thought – I thought you might get hungry."

She sucked in a breath and then brushed a sudden tear off and so Mox put the food on the hood of his rust bucket car and held out his arms instead,

"Sweetheart, get in here."

Surging towards him she threw herself into his sweatshirt and then nuzzled herself a little space between his pecs, before snivelling sorrowfully into the fabric as he pressed his lips down into her hair.

"I'm sorry, I'm okay," she sniffed again, louder, alerting the word to the fact that she was not okay, "It's just – ," she hiccupped, "It's just I'm really going to miss you and I know it's what you dreamed of since you were a kid and _god_ I'm so proud. So, so, _so_ freaking proud of you. But it sucks and I mean _sucks_ that we have to be apart."

"I know. But hey," he grinned at her, "Think of it this way, we can do a whole bunch of stuff when you come down. Even some stuff that's not legal in Pennsylvania."

He winked and she snorted back weakly,

"I guess. Just promise you're not going to find some hot Floridian and run off with her instead."

He kissed her,

"No fuckin' way. Took me long enough to find _one_ girl who makes me crazy, so I think I'll stick with her for a little bit more."

"Glad to," _sniff_, "Hear it."

His wrist watch bleeped loudly and he sighed then dropped his head down to hers, cupping his cheeks and pulling her face upright so he could give her a long, deep, satisfying goodbye kiss. The kind that happened at the end of the movies and cheesy Hallmark kind of shit she liked to watch and which made her kind of _melt_ into him a little, which made his dick twitch and –

"Fuck, now I _really_ gotta go."

"Okay," she whispered. He tucked her chin gently, lifting it up again with his knuckles,

"Hey, love you, ya hear?"

"Love you too," she murmured back croakily, at which point he decided to kiss her again, letting the final smooch linger a little longer and then biting on her lip as he began to step back. He rubbed his hands up her arms to brush some warmth in and then glanced at Samara,

"Hey, you'd better take care of her."

"Yah, yah."

Shooting his girl one last look for good measure, he turned and then clambered back into his car, pausing for a second to take a quick glance at Philly before flipping on the blinker and then slowly pulling off. Chloe moved out into the road to wave at him, which she kept up right until he turned out of the street and then disappeared off into the distance, at which point she broke down and started to cry.

Samara moved off the porch steps to comfort her. Well, sort of anyway. She put a hand on her back, which for her was as sweet as a bear hug from, well, a _normal_ person.

"Dere, dere. Is okay."

"Ugh, I miss him so much already. It – it's going to be so lonely without him here."

"How long until you join him in Florida?"

"Two weeks, which is when my replacement starts at the spa and I'm going down to visit him this weekend, but trust me every last second of those two weeks without him is going to literally eat me up inside,"

Samara blinked,

"Hmm, okay, we drink vodka."

Chloe nodded in agreement,

"Good plan."

"And then we talk about renting your room out. All dese people _leavin'_," she waved her hands, "It's hard work."

* * *

**So there you go, a happy ending everyone. Chloe is going to be joining Mox in Florida and they are starting a new chapter. At the moment I don't have any plans for a sequel, but never say never I guess. **

**Thank you so much to everyone who has followed this! For now, I'm still posting my Private Eye Dean and Roman story every Thursday evening (I have missed that bromance like crazy) and then after that I've got a Dean and Lauren for the romantics among you. So look out for those.**

**Until next time!**


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